Shane Richie (born Shane Patrick Roche on 11 March 1964) is an English actor, comedian, singer and media personality, known for his portrayal of the character Alfie Moon in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders. Born Shane Patrick Roche in Harlesden to Irish Catholic parents, He attended Willesden High School and was a member of a youth theatre as a child, and began his professional career in adolescence as a bluecoat entertainer in Pontins holiday camps. He progressed to the live stand up circuit – receiving a nomination for best new stand-up at the inaugural British Comedy Awards. In 1989, Richie made nightly appearances for Sky TV's chat show series Jameson Tonight, which was hosted by Derek Jameson and Richie and recorded at the Windmill Theatre, London. In 1990 Richie made his first terrestrial television appearances as one of the comics on the BBC One sketch show Up to Something! with Suzy Aitchison, David Schneider, Frances Dodge, Mike Hayley and Lewis MacLeod. The show got axed after one series and was replaced by another sketch show You Gotta Be Jokin' in 1991. Richie was one of five comics, the others being Maddi Cryer, Annette Law, George Marshall and Billy Pearce.