Jessie Wallace and Shane Ritchie's real-life bond - snogging to storyline doubts
Jessie Wallace and Shane Ritchie have been through a lot as Kat and Alfie Moon on EastEnders - including an ill-fated jaunt to Ireland for spin-off series, Redwater.
But off-screen their relationship is a lot more playful, including Shane's cheeky dig when Jessie got her kit off for lads mag FHM and the father-of-three saying snogging the seasoned actress is like 'kissing his nan'.
The pair have known each other for more than 20 years and are about to tackle another emotional storyline on the soap this month. So, as Mr Moon nurses his broken heart amid Kat getting ready to waltz down the aisle with Phil Mitchell - as well as his shock cancer diagnosis, here's the lowdown on Jessie and Shane's relationship in real life.
Marriage quip
Shane once joked his on-screen marriage to Jessie lasted longer than his real-life nuptials. His first marriage was to Loose Women star Coleen Nolan – but that ended with the former quiz host's betrayal. Shane's second marriage to wife, Christie Goddard, ended when his six-year affair with Alison Hall, the president of his fan club, was revealed.
After that drama, the actor admitted his 'marriage' to Jessie has "lasted longer" than any of his real-life ones. "This marriage has lasted longer than any of my real ones," Shane joked previously, adding: "We've played every emotion. We've split up. Infidelity, rape, cot death, baby swap, burned the house down – we've played everything. The audience has stuck with us."
EastEnders' Jake Wood's snap of son has fans pointing out the pair's likeness
FHM dig
Back in 2002, Jessie was one of a number of soap stars who got her kit off for lads mag, FHM. The actress recently shared a throwback to the shoot in which she stares sultrily at the camera, sporting black, lacy lingerie and tousled, raven hair. She also posted a photo of EastEnders star Lucy Benjamin, who played Lisa Mitchell in the soap, who also posed for the magazine, which has since been taken off the shelves.
Captioning her post, Jessie penned: "The Walford babes 2002 @lucybenjaminofficial." The snaps went down a storm with fans, who liked the post more than 11,000 times. Lucy also seemed pleased to reminisce, saying: "Wish it was still 2002!" However, Shane replied: "And then you farted" in reference to Jessie's saucy bed shot.
Jessie Wallace and Shane Ritchie have been through a lot as Kat and Alfie Moon on EastEnders (PA)
Shane made a cheeky dig when Jessie reposted this FHM snapBonding over 'farcical storyline'
Shane and Jessie have been a given a number of juicy storylines over the years, but one which they thought was too 'far-fetched' was when Ronnie Mitchell, played by Sam Womack, exchanged her child with the Moons' after her son, James, died of cot death.
Speaking on Ireland's The Late Late Show, ahead of the six-part spin-off series, Redwater, in which the duo attempted to as track down Kat's long lost son in another 'fanciful' storyline, Shane said: "That turned into a farce, for want of a better word, because it became like a baby swap story. It split the audience. We spent time with couples who had sadly lost children and we did our research. Doing that was tough as we have both got children. We put our heart and soul into that to play the truth."
Jessie also admitted she was uncomfortable with the plot in the soap's spin-off, Redwater, in which it was revealed Kat had given birth to a baby boy called Luke after she passed out during the birth of her daughter Zoe. Speaking about her unease with the storyline, the actress said: "I don’t know what to say. She was so out of it, Kat, and obviously before she had a scan she did not know she had another son. All roads lead to Ireland. It seems a little bit ridiculous that she didn't know she had a son. I am trying to justify this. She must have been so out of it, she did not know she had another child. He gets adopted and moves to Ireland and then Kat and Alfie go to Ireland to look for the son."
'When I snog Jessie it's like kissing my nan'
While the baby swap storyline was not a hit with the actors, Jessie said her favourite plot line was when the couple got together for the first time. Speaking about their rocky romance, she said: "The best storyline was me and Alfie getting together, which took a year and she fell in love with him and he fell in love with her. It took a year for that to happen."
However, despite the onscreen chemistry the pair share as husband and wife, Jessie and Shane admitted to finding kissing each other uncomfortable. Jessie said: "Kissing Shane is like kissing my brother. It just feels weird and we are just close friends." While Shane joked: "We are sick of the sight of each other. When I snog Jesse it's like kissing my nan."
EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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