Shane Richie's son Shane Nolan poked fun at the EastEnders star following his arrest for drink-driving after a row at a petrol station.
Shane Jr, 37, made jokes about the incident during a show called This Is Me alongside his mother Coleen Nolan at Bush Hall in Shepherd's Bush on Sunday. Before his mother took the stage, he warned the audience about drinking and driving.
"The more you drink the funnier I get. Is anyone having a drink tonight? But remember don’t drink and drive. Don’t do it," he said. As the crowd heckled him, he added: "What? What? I am driving home… there is lots to talk about. What am I doing after the show? I am taking my eight month old baby and my beautiful girlfriend back to Staffordshire. That is what I am doing. I won’t be driving. I am drinking tonight."
Name Change and Family History
During the performance, Shane Jr also explained why he chose to drop his father's surname in 2017. He switched his surname to Nolan when his mother took part in Celebrity Big Brother.
Coleen Nolan married Shane Richie in 1990, and the couple had two sons together. Their relationship lasted seven years before they split in 1997, divorcing in 1999 after Richie cheated.
Addressing the name change, Shane Jr joked: "I used to be called Shane Richie Jnr and I changed it to Shane Nolan. A lot of people have asked me why and it is because I just go with the parent who is most famous to get paid more. I have to admit my mum is smashing it."
Petrol Station Forecourt Row
The comments followed an incident last Wednesday just after 11pm at a Tesco petrol station in Harlow, Essex. Richie, 62, who plays Alfie Moon on the BBC soap, was challenged by staff after being seen vaping on the forecourt.
Footage of the confrontation showed employees telling the actor he could not smoke on the premises. Brandishing the vape, Richie replied: "It's not smoking." Realising he was being recorded, he then claimed: "This is not a vape."
When staff warned him that the vape was a risk, Richie reached back inside his car with his back to the worker and said: "I don't give a f***." The petrol station manager called police, claiming the actor was being aggressive, while Richie told the person filming: "Someone's coming to change my tyre."
Reports have also highlighted fears among Richie's circle regarding his gruelling schedule, amid claims his wife walked away from their business.
Police were later seen arriving at the forecourt. Richie was arrested and later charged with drink-driving, with a court appearance scheduled for next month.
While smoking a cigarette at a petrol station is a criminal offence due to the risk of sparks near flammable fuel, vaping is not a specific legal offence. However, petrol companies strictly prohibit vaping on forecourts over concerns about the same risk.
Concerns Over Workload and BBC Future
A report in The Sun claimed those close to Richie fear he could be spiralling and could end up being let go from EastEnders. A source told the publication that the situation had been a long time coming.
"Shane has been struggling to keep up with the demands of his workload and it appears it has all got a bit much. Everyone is so concerned about him," the source said. They noted that since his character Alfie took over as landlord of the Queen Vic, Richie has been filming constantly as the centre of the show.
"It is a pretty gruelling schedule. Plus he's got a big tour in September which he has been rehearsing for," the source added. "When Shane gets stressed he does like a drink, he has made no secret of that."
The source went on to claim that BBC bosses will not take the incident lightly, adding: "It wouldn't be a surprise if they suspended him."
