EASTENDERS star Shane Richie has been spotted filming Alfie Moon's explosive soap return - and it appears he's in a spot of bother.
The former Queen Vic landlord can be seen in a compromising position in images obtained by The Sun, showing him being kidnapped at gunpoint.
Shane's EastEnders fan-favourite character is seen with an understandably nervous look on his face as he is approached by a balaclava-clad figure.
Later images see him being forced into a black car and being ordered to drive - with his destination unknown.
The BBC scenes are filmed in the dead of night giving an eerie feel to Albert Square.
It remains to be seen how the cheeky chap will get out of his latest tricky situation.
Back in July, we reported how Alfie would make a sensational comeback this autumn.
We told how Shane was going to reprise his role as the loveable rogue for the first time in more than three years.
Talking of his return, he said: "It's an absolute honour and privilege to be asked back to my TV home of Albert Square.
"I'm looking forward to catching up with some old castmates and meeting some new ones.
"The new exec producer, Chris Clenshaw, has been instrumental in wanting to bring Alfie Moon back with some wonderful storylines... and who am I to say no? I can't wait."
Alfie fled Walford and EastEnders in January 2019, making an enemy of Steve McFadden's Phil Mitchell in the process.
He will return to Walford, prompting friction with the residents, not least his ex-wife, Kat Slater, played by Jessie Wallace.
The couple's fiery relationship was at the centre of many major storylines but things went sour for them in 2018.
It emerged Alfie had secretly fathered a son with her cousin Hayley, and he and Kat got divorced.
Alfie first appeared on EastEnders in November 2002 and, being caught stealing a drink from behind the bar of the Queen Vic, is assumed to be the new manager.
He stayed on the soap for years, becoming a firm favourite with fans, being named Most Popular Actor at the National TV Awards in 2003.
Yet his ex wife Coleen Nolan has been surprisingly vocal about Alfie's comeback - and the character's pledge to win back ex Kat Slater, who is now with Phil Mitchell.
Speaking on her ITV daytime show Loose Women, she was asked: "Don't you think Kat and Phil make a great couple?'"
Coleen added: "No! No I'm sorry, it's ridiculous. You would not pick Phil over Alfie.
"Absolutely. Kat and Alfie just go together; they've been together for years. Phil's just always miserable."
When they met in 1986, Coleen was a member of the family band The Nolans, while Shane was an up-and-coming presenter and actor.
The pair planned a big wedding in 1990 but this began to spiral out of control, becoming extravagant.
Instead, Coleen and Shane eloped that year in Orlando, Florida.
Their relationship was not smooth sailing though as they later split up after Shane cheated.
Coleen shared that the long-distance aspect of their relationship put a strain on things too.
The couple ended things in 1997 and finalised their divorce two years later.
Shane blamed his ego in an interview with the Daily Mail in 2017: "By 1996 my ego had taken over. I was getting a police escort to nightclubs. I'd be thinking, I'm 30, I've got bad skin but all these girls are screaming for me outside."
He added: "I was lying to myself about the drinking and the women, thinking I was pulling the wool over the public's eyes. I'd be on TV advocating monogamy while I was having an affair."
The pair have appeared to patch things up for the sake of their two children.
Eldest son Shane Jr was born on December 2, 1988, followed by Jake four years later on September 16, 1992.
