Following initial success as a stage and screen performer, he became best known for his portrayal of the character Alfie Moon in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders (appearing 2002–2005, 2010–2016, 2018–2019, 2022–present) and then in its spin-off RTÉ Drama Redwater in 2017.

[2] Richie has presented a number of BBC game shows including Reflex, Win Your Wish List and Decimate.

[3] Richie was born on 11 March 1964 at St Mary Abbots Hospital in Kensington, London[4] to Irish parents.

[5] He attended Willesden High School[6] and was a member of a youth theatre as a child, and began his professional career in adolescence as a bluecoat entertainer at a Pontins holiday camp Little Canada, on the Isle of Wight.

He progressed to the live stand up circuit, receiving a nomination for best new stand-up at the inaugural British Comedy Awards.

with Suzy Aitchison, David Schneider, Frances Dodge, Mike Hayley and Lewis MacLeod; however, the show was axed after one series.

He moved into mainstream presenting with Caught in the Act, Win, Lose or Draw, The Shane Richie Experience (later revamped as Love Me Do) and Lucky Numbers.

In the 2012 Christmas episode of The Sarah Millican Television Programme, Richie said that Daz gave him so much money for doing the adverts that he would have "snorted the stuff" if they had asked him.

Richie had a number 2 hit in the UK Singles Chart in 2003, with his Children in Need cover version of Wham!

He won supporting roles in low-profile British films, beginning with Chris Barfoot's award-winning short comedy movie Dead Clean and then later Distant Shadow.

The BBC announced on 14 November 2011 that following Jimmy Savile's recent death, Jim'll Fix It would return for a one-off Christmas Special in December 2011, with Richie as host.

In December 2014, Richie began hosting The National Lottery: Win Your Wish List, a new Saturday night game show.

On 4 April 2015, it was announced that Richie would appear alongside Jessie Wallace in a six-part BBC One drama series, Redwater.

He was subsequently seen in the UK stage tour of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest as Randle McMurphy, and heard as a presenter on Virgin Radio, where he interviewed Tony Hadley of Spandau Ballet.

In July 2015, it was announced that Richie would star alongside his EastEnders co-star Jessie Wallace in The Perfect Murder at the Theatre Royal in February 2016.

[22][23][24] In 2019, Richie starred as retired drag queen Hugo Battersby/Loco Chanelle in the hit musical Everybody's Talking About Jamie at the Apollo Theatre.

[27] In the book, he claims to have had sex with six girls in a chalet during his time as a Pontins Bluecoat, and says that he broke the law by orchestrating ticket touts outside the theatre where he was appearing in Grease.