First look at EastEnders' Kat and Alfie in their Irish spin-off series

You may have heard that EastEnders has a new spin-off on the way that will follow Kat and Alfie as they arrive in Ireland looking for Kat's long-lost son.

Shane Ritchie and Jesse Wallace have been filming the new show in Waterford, and this week the BBC released the first picture of them in the show;

Looks like Ireland suits them, Kat must have left her leopard prints back in Walford while she's also let her hair grow. No long leather jacket for Alfie either. This really is a fresh start for the pair.

They have also released the name of the series - 'Redwater', which, eh, is a little bit too close in name to Red Rock, no? This can only lead to confusion.

As previously announced, they have some well-known Irish actors joining the cast, including Downton Abbey's Maria Doyle Kennedy, Lost's Fionnula Flanagan, The Commitments' Angeline Ball, Game of Thrones' Ian McElhinney, The Tunnel's Stanley Townsend and Brooklyn's Peter Campion.

So far we know that Redwater is the name of the coastal village that Kat and Alfie rock up in, where the Kelly and Dolan families have lived for generations. The new arrivals however will cause quite a stir for the residents with secrets being unearthed they would rather have kept buried.

Sounds very dramatic. Although when we spoke to Shane and Jesse about the spin-off earlier in the year, they pointed out that it is much more of a drama than a soap; "It's got Kat and Alfie, but other than that it's got nothing to do with EastEnders," Shane said.

"When I read the first script, I thought, Kat and Alfie shouldn't be there," he continued. "It was uncomfortable to read, yet riveting and dark and sinister, but also had the warmth and charm that Kat and Alfie bring."

If it proves popular they will be back for more too, with Shane adding; "The idea is, God willing, that if it does well, then we'll set up here permanently."

Redwater arrives on our screens in early 2017.