Shane Ritchie was arrested on drink-driving charges after driving his white Hyundai onto a Tesco petrol station forecourt in Harlow, Essex, shortly before 11.20pm on Wednesday, July 29, according to Essex Police.
The actor, whose real name is Shane Roche, appeared bleary-eyed as he stepped out of the vehicle, which arrived at the forecourt seemingly with a flat tyre. Staff spotted him holding a large vape and told him he could not smoke on the premises.
Ritchie pushed back, saying it was not smoking. When he noticed he was being filmed, he claimed the device was not a vape. After staff told him it posed a risk, he turned away and said he did not care.
The petrol station manager called police, telling them Ritchie was being aggressive. While waiting, the 62-year-old told the person filming that someone was coming to change his tyre. Officers arrived, arrested him, and a drink-driving charge was subsequently authorised against him. He is due to appear at magistrates’ court on September 9.
Concerns from his circle
Following the arrest, The Sun reported that people close to Ritchie fear he could be spiralling. A source told the publication that his EastEnders workload had become overwhelming since his character Alfie Moon took over as landlord of the Queen Vic, placing him at the centre of the show’s filming schedule. The source added that a nationwide theatre tour in September alongside Bradley Walsh, Brian Conley and Joe Pasquale had raised further concerns about him spending a month away with friends from the nineties.
The source also said BBC bosses would not take the incident lightly and that a suspension would not be a surprise.
There are also reported questions over his marriage to actress Christie Goddard, whom he wed in 2007 and with whom he has three children. The publication claims Christie was removed as director of their joint company, Bluebelle Skye Productions, in June, leaving her with no control over the business they had run together since 2017.
A representative for Ritchie was contacted for comment.
