EastEnders legend reveals the huge role they missed out on after joining Albert Square
AN EastEnders legend has revealed that they were originally considered to play the lead role in BBC hit Doctor Who.
Shane Richie, most famed for his legendary role of Alfie Moon in EastEnders, had amitted that he was first approached to join the BBC revival of Doctor Who around the same time he made his soap debut.
In a recent interview, Shane confirmed that he was being lined up with a role in Russell T. Davies' adaptation of the programme but agreed to give the role of Alfie a try first.
Speaking to RadioTimes, the former husband of Coleen Nolan said: "The deal was I’d go in [to EastEnders] for three months, see the reaction, and then they'd talk about renewing the contract."
However, Shane agreed to a lengthy contract with the show, making him unavailable to play the iconic Doctor.
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He added: "It took off, so I signed a three year deal – but what happened in the meantime was the papers had said I was only going in for three months… and then someone said, 'We just want to know the availability for Shane Richie to play Doctor Who.'
"Of course, it wasn't the monster it is now, so I didn't think any more about it.
"But there was an availability check and there was some interest. I think my manager had a meeting about it. But I'd signed up to [play] Alfie for three years."
Shane was speaking ahead of his new role in the brand new Doctor Who audio stories where he will play the role of Time Lord Drax.
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Shane has appeared on and off in the BBC's flagship soap many times and recently returned in a bid to win back his beloved wife Kat.
He has attempted to woo and impress her after she married the notorious Phil Mitchell.