Fresh blow for Shane Richie as he is forced to sell his five bedroom, £1.75million family home in Surrey amid divorce

Shane Richie has been forced to sell his family home of 18 years following the breakdown of his 19-year marriage to Christie Goddard. 

The £1.75million five-bedroom property in Surrey was put on the market back in March and has now been 'sold subject to contract', according to reports.

Shane and Christie's divorce was said to have been finalised on July 23 – just six days before the actor, 62, had a row with petrol station staff when he was challenged at the Tesco petrol station in Harlow, Essex, after he was seen vaping. 

The former couple, who share three children, bought the house in 2008 and went on to do multiple renovations including an extension to build a dressing room and an orangery. 

A source told The Sun: 'Shane and Christie's split happened a few months back.

'They put their house on the market in March and it took a few months to get a buyer in place.

'Hopefully if it goes smoothly, they will be moving this year and settling down again in separate houses. No divorce is pretty but they've tried to be as amicable as possible for their children.'

Christie confirmed their divorce to the publication and has now changed her Facebook relationship status to 'divorced'. 

The Daily Mail has contacted Shane's representative for comment.  

The split was said to have been prompted by Christie, 47, getting 'fed-up with his spiralling behaviour'. 

'Christie was at the end of her tether with Shane and had had enough. The divorce was her decision and she pursued it after talking it through with relatives. She had put up with a lot over the years and has had a really hard time of things lately,' a source told the publication. 

'There was not one specific incident that led to the end, but a build-up of things. She got fed up with his behaviour and did not take the decision lightly.

'There is a feeling he has been working hard and playing hard and that his behaviour has spiralled a bit.'

There had been reported questions over their marriage after it was previously claimed that Christie was terminated as director of their joint company Bluebelle Skye Productions in June so now has no control over the business empire they have run together since 2017.

The source added Christie hasn't kicked him out of their family home and that her main concern is their three children. 

They claimed she was 'shocked' by Shane's drink-drive arrest and hopes it will be a 'wake-up call' for the actor. 

Shane was challenged after he was seen vaping at the Tesco petrol station in Harlow, Essex, on July 29.

Footage of the incident, which unfolded just after 11pm, saw the actor being told he could not smoke on the premises.

Brandishing the vape, he replied: 'It's not smoking.' Upon realising he was being filmed, the EastEnders star then claimed: 'This is not a vape.'

After staff told him the vape 'is a risk', the actor, while reaching back inside his car and with his back to the employee, said: 'I don't give a f***.'

As the manager of the petrol station phoned police, claiming Richie was being 'aggressive', the TV soap star told the man filming: 'Someone's coming to change my tyre.'

Police were later seen arriving at the forecourt.

He was arrested and later charged with drink-driving. He is set to appear in court next month. 

It is a criminal offence to smoke a cigarette at a petrol station due to the danger posed by sparks in the proximity of fuel, which is highly flammable.

It is not a specific offence to vape on forecourts but petrol station companies strictly prohibit it over concerns about the same risk.

Shane, who plays Alfie Moon on EastEnders, and Christie married in 2007, after meeting in 2001. 

They met by chance after heading to a local pub while he was doing panto in Wimbledon, London.