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EastEnders star Shane Richie was ‘a mess’ as he prepared for his character Alfie Moon’s prostate cancer storyline.
The BBC soap was recently praised for how it treated beloved character Lola’s brain tumour diagnosis and heartbreaking death, and are now preparing to tackle Alfie’s journey with prostate cancer.
Actor Shane appeared on Wednesday’s The One Show where he noted EastEnders ‘has a history’ of highlighting important medical stories, and that this one was ‘so important to tell.’
He revealed he spent an afternoon with prostate cancer patient Jonathan Hall, who was diagnosed with the disease three years ago, and who had earlier shared his own story on the programme.
Reflecting on his day with Jonathan, Shane admitted: ‘At the end of it, I was a mess.’
‘I remember coming out of it going, “Oh, this is such an important story to tell.”
‘And the fact they gave that particular story to a character like Alfie Moon, as people are familiar with Alfie over 21 years, maybe doing it with another character wouldn’t have had the same impact.’
Jonathan is one of a number of patients and charities who work with EastEnders to ensure the soap tackles difficult subjects sensitively and correctly.
He underwent surgery to remove his prostate to fight the cancer, revealing he knew a man who did not want to go through the same operation as he would ‘have to wear a stoma bag.’
Becoming emotional during the interview, Jonathan said his friend had died after choosing not to undergo surgery.
He himself is ‘on the road to recovery’ from the disease, with his cancer no longer detectable.
EastEnders’ Alfie was recently rocked when a trip to the hospital revealed that he may be suffering from prostate cancer, with doctors sending him for further tests.
Having received his results, he told Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) and Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) that he had been given the all clear – though it will transpire that he was lying during a confrontation with Phil.
In upcoming episodes, Alfie is set to undergo a prostatectomy, with Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) heading to the hospital to offer her support.
It was recently reported Alfie is confirmed to exit the Square for a while while undergoing treatment in the show.
The One Show airs weekdays from 7pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer
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