EastEnders has announced an emotional storyline that will see Alfie Moon (Shane Richie) diagnosed with prostate cancer.
The storyline will follow Alfie and those around him as he discovers and comes to terms with his devastating diagnosis.
EastEnders is working with leading charities Prostate Cancer UK and Macmillan Cancer Support as well as experts in the field to ensure the storyline is portrayed as accurately and as sensitively as possible.
After weeks out of work, Alfie finally landed on his feet when he was offered a job at the local bookies. However, his life is set to be thrown into turmoil once again when he is diagnosed with the disease.
Executive Producer Chris Clenshaw said of the storyline: “When we first embarked on this storyline we knew it was imperative that we worked alongside Prostate Cancer UK and Macmillan Cancer Support to take on and accurately portray such an emotional and pivotal storyline for Alfie, and one that many viewers may relate to.
"Shane [Richie] has thoughtfully portrayed the realities of being diagnosed with prostate cancer with grace and understanding. We hope that this storyline resonates with the audience and that we represent it as sensitively, and as accurately as possible.”
Amy Rylance, Head of Improving Care at Prostate Cancer UK added: “It’s been a pleasure working alongside EastEnders on their prostate cancer storyline, and we salute the BBC for approaching Prostate Cancer UK to ensure the narrative is as close to real life as possible.
"Every man’s experience of prostate cancer is unique, and it’s so important for viewers to be given accurate information about the disease. It’s been a privilege to provide insight into Alfie Moon’s journey with prostate cancer, ensuring an authentic story is told every step of the way.
"Introducing Shane (Richie) to one of our supporters affected by prostate cancer gave him the opportunity to understand what it’s like to experience the disease firsthand.”
Dany Bell, Macmillan Cancer Support’s Strategic Advisor for Treatment, Medicines and Genomic added: “Storylines like Alfie’s play a vital role in helping to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of prostate cancer and the impact a cancer diagnosis can have on individuals and their families.
"We also know that men can often find it difficult to talk about cancer, to protect the people around them or simply wanting to stay strong. We hope that seeing a character like Alfie go through this experience will help open up these vital conversations and highlight the array of support that’s out there."
EastEnders airs Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings at 7.30 pm on BBC One — see our TV Guide for full listings. You can also catch up on episodes on BBC iPlayer now.
