Shane Richie has bad news for EastEnders fans but GREAT news for Irish fans

Don't be expecting him to return to EastEnders anytime soon by the sounds of it.

Shane Richie has been absent from EastEnders for quite some time now, along with his co-star Jessie Wallace. The pair, who play Alfie Moon and Kat Slater, have been filming a spin-off TV series. Their characters are part of the new show Redwater, which sees them travelling to Ireland in search of their long-lost son. The show, which has yet to air, is a six-part series. While they've finished filming, Shane and Jessie still haven't returned to Albert Square, and it seems they might want it that way. Shane has recently said that he wants Redwater to go on forever. Speaking with The Mirror on Sunday he said:

"I hope it runs and runs and Redwater goes on forever. “There’s very much a thriller tone to it, big secrets, which I hope will keep the audience tuning in. Alfie’s journey is to help his wife find her son but at the same time he has his own dark secret which he’s keeping. The drama is very mythical, there’s something magical here.”

We'll just have to wait and find out if he will return to EastEnders.