EastEnders finally tackled Alfie’s overlooked brain tumour plotline when Alfie Moon (Shane Richie) spoke up about his new prostate cancer diagnosis to Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden).
Doctors told Alfie in 2015 that they had discovered a lump on his brain, which proved out to be a benign tumour when he eventually got the confidence to get examined.
Viewers may recall that this was part of a plot in which Alfie and wife Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) left Albert Square to go to Spain after winning a large amount of money on a scratch card.
Following a brief return to Walford, they travelled to Ireland in search of Kat’s long-lost son, which was recorded in the controversial spin-off series Redwater.
The series finished on an epic cliffhanger, with Alfie undergoing surgery to remove his cancer before passing out during the procedure.
At the same time, Kat looked to be dead following an accident at sea, and neither character was proven dead or alive for several years.
Thankfully, they both survived the encounter, and little has been said about what happened subsequently.
However, in tonight’s (August 17) programme, Phil finally mentioned Alfie’s cancer when discussing his latest diagnosis.
Though Alfie tried to keep his prostate cancer diagnosis a secret, Phil became suspicious when Tommy Moon (Sonny Kendall) stated that he had seen him get into a cab to the hospital the day before.
Phil felt there may have been something wrong with Alfie’s test results after taking him to the hospital the day before.
Phil urged Alfie to speak up when the two men were finally alone.
To assuage his fears, Phil stated that he knew other people who had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and had recovered entirely, before pointing out that Alfie had gone through a similar scenario in the past, referring to his brain tumour.
When Alfie pointed out that he was handling things better this time around by not just pretending it wasn’t happening, Phil disagreed and stated he needed to talk to his family about it.
He emphasised that it was genetic and that he owed it to his brother and sons to handle the situation seriously.
Will Alfie heed Phil’s counsel and confide in his family?
