EastEnders' Kat and Alfie Moon to star in spin-off series

There has been no shortage of drama surrounding EastEnders' Kat and Alfie Moon.

And now they are set for some more drama, but of the good variety.The BBC has announced that Kat (played by Jessie Wallace) and Alfie (Shane Richie) will be leaving Walford temporarily to star in their own series.

The six-part series has been created by EastEnders' executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins.

In an official statement he said: "In the next few weeks on EastEnders, viewers will witness several huge twists for Kat and Alfie Moon that will change their lives forever.

"Now is the perfect time to take two of EastEnders' most beloved and enduring characters out of their comfort zone as they head to Ireland to search for answers to some very big questions.

"My team here are very excited about creating a whole new drama that stands apart from EastEnders while taking our style of storytelling to a place of stories, myth, secrets and immeasurable beauty."

Speaking about the series, Richie said: "Both Jessie and I are absolutely thrilled to be given this amazing opportunity. To have a whole drama focused around Kat and Alfie is a huge honour for us both and we just can't wait to start filming."

The series starts filming in the autumn and is due to be transmitted in 2016.