BEING adored by 11 million people could seriously damage your modesty.

But actor Shane Richie , who captured the heart of every EastEnders fan as loveable rogue Alfie Moon, has no such inflated view of his place in the world.

"Before Alfie I was the prat that did the Daz adverts, I know that," he smiles.. "I was an entertainer when entertainer was a dirty word, when it conjured up the end of the pier.

"It wasn't until Robbie Williams said he wanted to be known as an entertainer that everyone thought it was a cool word, but people like me and Bradley Walsh and Brian Conley have been doing that for 20 years.

"When I got Alfie three years ago, all people knew about me was that I could sing. But that character touched people and gave me a chance to put in the hours and play every emotion possible."

The nation's affection for his cheeky creation was proved when, on Christmas Day, EastEnders trounced the opposition in the ratings battle.

Writers gave Shane and actress Jessie Wallace - Alfie and his soul-mate Kat - the perfect send-off.

After months of will they/won't they, the couple were reunited to drive off into the sunset, leaving the door well and truly open for both to return at some point in the future.

"If millions of people could have written an ending, that would have been it, definitely," says Shane.. "And I was really pleased with how they did it, even though it was literally only sorted out a couple of weeks before. At one point they weren't sure if Jessie would stay on for another few of weeks, but in the end they decided to let us both go out on a high.

"I think that was right because people just tapped into that whole Alfie and Kat relationship, they really saw what we saw, and you have to respect that."