Shane Richie has told how landing his role in 'EastEnders' was a "godsend" after he lost nearly £700,000 just before he got the part.
Shane Richie
The 56-year-old actor was "selling everything" he owned at the time to try to stay afloat, but he got a big break when he landed the role of Alfie Moon on the BBC One soap, as the show's lead writer Tony Jordan was looking to replicate Only Fools and Horses' Trotter family in Albert Square.
He said: "My manager gets a call saying they’d like you to come back and do some improv, they have this idea of this family they’re working on.
"So I've gone in and Tony Jordan, who created the Slaters, was a big fan of ['Only Fools and Horses' writer] John Sullivan.
"And he always wanted to create the Trotters but in 'EastEnders'.
"So I kept coming back but still no idea what was going on.
"So we go on holiday - I'm bankrupt because of this film I'd invested in, I've got nothing, I'm selling the house, selling everything I've got. I've got no work.
"I'd just lost everything at that time. I nearly lost my home, I lost nearly £700,000 - everything. I literally had nothing.
"So that was a godsend."
Shane recalled how he was in tears when he got the call saying 'EastEnders' wanted him.
Speaking on 'I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!' - on which he is a contestant this year - he added: "The phone goes and it's my manager saying, 'Can you talk? 'EastEnders' want you.'
"I started getting teary. He said, 'This is what they want: They've got this character who is going to be called Alfie Moon.'
"I've gone, 'Who is called Alfie? That's such a dated name.'
"They had said, 'In your first ep you're going to come in and take over the Queen Vic.' I started crying."
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