Alfie’s still determined! (Pictures: BBC)

Since Alfie Moon (Shane Richie) returned to EastEnders, one thing is absolutely clear. He still loves Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) and would like nothing more than to be reunited with her.

There’s a very big obstacle in the way of that, of course, and it’s the obstacle known as Walford’s hardest hard man, Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden).

‘Kat and Phil are an item, and Alfie’s just a fly in the ointment getting in the way,’ is how Shane Richie describes the current situation. ‘But I think Alfie’s still got his eye on the prize, and the prize is Kat.’

Shane says that what’s worrying Alfie the most is Phil’s association with the criminal underworld of Walford, and the fear that Kat and the boys might be put in danger by some of Phil’s more unsavoury associates. It’s a realistic fear, too, as we’ve already seen Kat being targeted when Phil was in prison.

‘I think Alfie fears for Kat’s allegiance with Phil because Alfie knows, like most people in the Square know, Phil’s background and his association with the dark side of Walford,’ Shane explains. ‘That’s

something Alfie doesn’t have a hand in, so he fears for Kat and the boys. I think he fears for Kat and what may or may not happen in the future.’

Shane thinks that Alfie is taking the place of Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) as Phil’s biggest enemy on the Square. ‘Back in the day, Alfie and Phil’s paths never really crossed – it was always Alfie and Ian Beale, and Alfie always had an affinity with Ian, and Ian was Phil’s nemesis,’ he recalls.

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‘Now it feels like Alfie’s slowly taking that mantle of Ian in Phil’s mind. I think that’s predominantly down to the fact that Kat and Phil are now an item, and Alfie, for the life of him, cannot see a future without Kat and certainly can’t see a future for Phil and Kat. So, he’s constantly astonished and flabbergasted that Kat’s even got feelings for Phil.’

As are we all, but whatever your feelings about the Kat/Phil partnership, Shane is looking forward to more scenes where his character locks horns with Phil.

‘I’ve got some great stuff coming up next week that we’re filming,’ he says enthusiastically. ‘Alfie and Phil are two characters that are just polar opposites.’

‘Alfie’s still got his eye on the prize, and the prize is Kat’.