Well, Hey Y’All!”Alfie Moon's Tarheel State Adventure
By Claire Meyerhoff
Just like the dashing Alfie Moon, North Carolina EastEnders fans met
Shane Richie as he dashed, literally, across the United States. Riche
and current EastEnders star Josie Lawrence were on their last leg of
the BBC’s “Around the World in 80 Days” celebrity challenge, raising
money for the BBC Children in Need Appeal.
Their North Carolina fans dashed as well, on a steamy August evening,
converging in Fayetteville from all parts of the state, and from even
more exotic locales like Cleveland, Ohio. More than thirty fans
gathered at Fayetteville’s Mash House Restaurant and Brewery, waiting
several hours before the BBC crew’s arrival. This gave them plenty of
time for much-needed EastEnders-centric conversation and to do
something that North Carolina EastEnders fans are famous for…
Raise Money.
A fast whip-round of a red hat netted the handsome sum of $510. and
plans were made on how to present the donation to the dynamic duo of
Shane and Josie. Just as they finalized their plan, the BBC crew’s
mega-bus pulled into the restaurant parking lot. Since they were
gathered on the outdoor patio adjacent to the parking lot, the fans
were able to witness one of the greatest events in state history; the
moment Alfie Moon stepped onto North Carolina soil.
And they went wild.
“Well, hey y’all,” Shane Richie greeted the crowd, with his best
“Alfie does an American” swagger. By his side was the lovely,
gorgeous, witty, fabulous and extremely friendly British
actress/comedienne Josie Lawrence, known to many for her appearances
on “Whose Line is it Anyway.” In another time and dimension, known as
Albert Square in 2009, Josie plays the artsy femme fatale Manda Best.
“You don’t know me then, do you?,” asked Josie, absorbing the
mind-bending fact that U.S. fans are living in Ye Olde Walford. Shane
picked right up on this, wondering out loud what the fans knew – and
what they didn’t.
(Attention to those who cannot tolerate spoilers; continue reading at
your own risk.)
“So you haven’t seen Kat and Alfie get married then?” asked Shane.
“Oh, there’s so much to come!” he teased.
Even though they’d been travelling America’s highways for eight days,
including stops in Atlanta and Memphis, where they dressed as Elvis
impersonators (that’s what a reporter understood them to say), Shane
and Josie happily answered a barrage of questions. They
also had many of their own questions for their North Carolina fans.
“Who are your favorite characters?”
“Do you get Coronation Street here?”
“What’s the big one over here, “The Young and Restless?”
This last question prompted the fans to give a quick lesson in the
ways of U.S. TV (“that’s a daytime soap! It’s not the same!!!”) and
the harsh realities of being an EastEnders fan in the United States.
“Shane and Josie truly seemed taken aback,” said longtime UNC-TV
viewer Rosemary Buerger of Fayetteville. “We let them know the fans
raise upwards of $50,000. a year here in North Carolina, and they were
really amazed by that. I think it was then that they probably
realized that this wasn’t your ordinary fan base.”
While North Carolina EastEnders fans are generous with their
contributions to UNC-TV, they’re also known for their southern
hospitality. At one point in the evening, Shane expressed a bit of
worry over an impending hurricane, Mary Duke Barnwell offered him
accommodations at her home in Wilmington, North Carolina.
“Ah, you’ll be my Kat for the night,” replied Shane, with that Alfie
Moon grin. “Just a little more red lipstick, darling!”
Shane stayed in what seemed to be quasi-character, cheeky-Alfie mode,
but when a fan tipped her red hat to him, uncovering a wad of cash,
announcing that it was for Children in Need, Shane was quiet serious.
“This means so much,” he said.
Shane, Josie and the BBC crew spent several hours with fans at the
Mash House. They took care of “official duties” including exchanging
gifts (Shane and Josie brought autographed signs; fans presented
EastEnders shirts they had signed), taking photos, signing autographs.
Yet, they also spent a large part of the evening “off camera” just
chatting with everyone, sampling some American food and beverages.
After their U.S. trek, Shane and Josie were set to board a cargo ship
back to the U.K.
“I’m the only woman with twelve men,” said Josie. “I better grow a mustache.”
The Fayetteville Observer dispatched photographer Stephanie Bruce and
reporter Brian Dukes to cover the event. You can find their coverage
at FayObserver.com and search “EastEnders” or “BBC.”
On November 20, Shane, Josie and five other teams of British
celebrities will head to BBC studios to find out which team raised the
most for the BBC Children in Need Appeal.
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