On My Mind

ARE you a Corrie or an EastEnders fan?

When it comes to soaps most people seem to have a preference and I've always found the comedy of the Cobbles preferable to the squabbles of The Square.

But having met soap legends Shane Richie and Jessie Wallace this week as they officially launched Southampton's blockbuster panto Robin Hood I might be persuaded to change my mind!

Of course the pair are best known and loved as Kat and Alfie in the soap and their roller-coaster on-screen relationship with some of the programme's most dramatic storylines have been difficult to ignore.

They have also had some of the funniest lines in the soap even when comedy is looking a bit thin on the ground.

Meeting them in the flesh in a joint interview proved a revelation as they are most probably one of the best real-life comedy double acts ever.

Jessie was distracted by the panto posters, her eyes drawn to her own chest declaring 'They're not my ****!" and adding "They're not my teeth!" whilst Shane lamented the lack of Photoshop editing on his face saying:"It looks like the Underground map - there are so many lines!"

After 15 years as Kat and Alfie Jessie said she misses Shane when they are not together.

"When he's not there I miss him. I pine for him. We've been together 15 years - we are like a modern day Terry and June."

Shane chipped in: "We are better than Brad and Angelina - we've not split up!"

The pair have toured in a Peter James play this year and spent five months filming an EastEnders TV spin-off in Ireland so have hardly been apart.

Jessie added: "It feels weird if we don't talk every day."

After debating whether they would return to EastEnders Jessie said she wouldn't go back without Shane: "Kat without Alfie would be like Cannon without Ball!" A TV sit-com could or stand-up comedy show could be the way forward...!

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