EastEnders star Shane Richie has shared his hopes for a reunion

between Alfie Moon and Kat Slater, ahead of a surprise kiss next week.

The former couple have been struggling to deal with their son Tommy’s

violent and abusive behaviour, and last week’s dramatic events saw the teenager taken

out of the house to temporarily live with Zack Hudson next door.

While Kat and Alfie are back on good terms, next week Kat is still at odds with her family over Jean Slater’s secret phone call to social services – so Alfie makes it his mission to get the Slaters to reconcile.

His plan is a success, and later in the week, he manages to turn around a difficult social services meeting with Tommy. Alfie makes a rousing speech that gets through to his son, and also stirs up some old feelings in Kat.

“Alfie doesn’t notice but Kat is sitting there hanging on every word he says,” said Richie. “It resonates with Tommy and the social worker, and Alfie was just being Alfie, just telling it like it is.

“No frills, just saying we love you, and we will be here for you. I think Kat is reminded about why she fell for Alfie 22 years ago.”

With plans in place to get Tommy back home, Kat is grateful to Alfie for his support, and back at the flat he gets a surprise when she kisses him.

Richie explained: “Alfie doesn’t see it coming at all! When they get back, he can see Kat is a bit gooey-eyed, but he isn’t quite sure what that’s all about. He had no idea because Kat had been reminding him for weeks that they were just friends, and she had no feelings for him.

“But then Kat kisses him, and she kisses him in the way she would have done back in the day, and it totally upends Alfie’s world!”

Afterwards, both Kat and Alfie get advice from their loved ones about the confusing situation. It remains to be seen whether they will give their relationship another go, but Richie has hope for a reunion between the iconic pair.

“Kat and Alfie have gone the long way around,” he said. “But they are slowly finding each other again. If they did get back together, they would be this powerhouse of a couple because of who they are and their history together.

“I just say, ‘Watch this space because there will be fireworks!’”