In what episode of EastEnders did Alfie Moon first appear?

Alfie Moon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera "EastEnders", played by Shane Richie. He made his first appearance on 21 November 2002, and left on 25 December 2005. He returned to "EastEnders" on 21 September 2010, following the return of on-screen wife Kat (Jessie Wallace) two episodes previously.

Alfie Moon

Some of the character's more prominent storylines have included: his turbulent relationship withand later marriage toKat Slater; the dementia and death of his grandmother, Nana Moon (Hilda Braid); believing that Kat's son Tommy had died of cot death, whereas in fact Ronnie Mitchell (Samantha Womack) had switched him with her own deceased child; Kat's affair with Derek Branning (Jamie Foreman); beginning a relationship with Roxy Mitchell (Rita Simons) and marrying her, but reuniting with Kat moments after the wedding; Kat's pregnancy with twinsBert and Ernie, destroying their home by committing arson to get the insurance money; winning the lottery and being diagnosed with a brain tumour and reuniting with Kat but later splitting up again after it is revealed he is the father of Cherry Slater.

Richie and Wallace departed on-screen on 22 May 2015 before returning for a short stint from 26 December 2015 to 25 January 2016, before appearing in the six-part drama spin-off series, "", airing from 14 May 2017 until 18 June 2017. In March 2018, it was announced that Alfie would return to the show. He appeared on-screen on 24 and 25 May 2018 and returned again on 15 November 2018.

Alfie is ejected from Walford East tube station for fare evasion, and causes havoc in the market by getting a refund from Winston (Ulric Browne) for a video he stole and tricking Martin Fowler (James Alexandrou) into giving him free fruit. After acquainting himself with a few residents, he sneaks into The Queen Victoria public house and helps himself to a drink behind the bar. The landlady, Peggy Mitchell (Barbara Windsor), assumes that Alfie is Chris Wright (Tom Roberts), the new manager sent by an agency. Alfie takes advantage of the misunderstanding to commit identity fraud against Wright. Alfie packs any stock he could find in a bin bag, ready to leave. Jim Branning (John Bardon) catches him, but assumes Alfie is throwing away outdated stock and tricks Alfie into giving him a pint on the house. Winston, Martin, Ricky Butcher (Sid Owen) and Sam Mitchell (Kim Medcalf) realise that Alfie has told them all different background stories but he manages to reconcile the inconsistent stories. Alfie later answers the phone to the real Chris Wright and tells him the position is filled, revealing his intention to stay. Alfie's brother and grandmother arrive unannounced in Albert Square and move into the pub with Alfie, much to his dismay. When Alfie is blackmailed by a former police officer, Dougie Slade (John Bowler), who reveals Alfie's true identity to Peggy, Alfie and his family are forced to flee with the pub's takings. However, Alfie leaves the money on Peggy's doorstep. Peggy manages to track him down and after he confides in her about his parents' death, she gives him another chance. Alfie reluctantly accepts her proposal.

Alfie shares a bond with barmaid Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) and an attraction develops. Eventually Kat reciprocates his feelings and one night when the pub is closed, Kat reveals her feelings to him. They decide to embark on their relationship slowly, but his inability to trust her causes her to rethink the romance and she breaks up with Alfie, within less than a week. Alfie is heartbroken when Kat returns from a trip to New York engaged to local gangster Andy Hunter (Michael Higgs). Andy, knowing Alfie's feelings for Kat, warns him to stay away from her and the wedding. Before the wedding, Kat visits Alfie's grandmother, Nana Moon (Hilda Braid) in hospital, and thinking she is asleep, admits she still loves Alfie. Nana tells Alfie and he rushes to the wedding to confess his true feelings as the ceremony takes place. Kat jilts Andy and he swears revenge before leaving Walford. Alfie and Kat quickly get engaged and decide to hold the wedding on Christmas Day, less than a month away. However, Alfie is still married to his first wife, Liza (Joanne Adams). Liza's mother, Marlene (Christine Ellerbeck) tells Alfie that their divorce is finalised, so he starts to prepare the wedding to Kat, until Liza reveals they are not divorced. There are only a few days before the wedding so he tries to quickly finalise the divorce while trying to keep it secret from Kat, though Liza makes it difficult as she wants Alfie to take her back. Alfie is forced to cancel the minister on Christmas Day and he panics, but gets his friend Ray (David Walliams) to pretend to be a minister, while planning to tell Kat the truth a few days later. Alfie's brother, Spencer Moon (Christopher Parker), warns Alfie not to start his marriage with a lie, so Alfie reveals the truth to a furious Kat. Alfie is about to tell the guests that the wedding is cancelled when his solicitor enters with Alfie's decree absolute. Alfie convinces the minister to cancel his Christmas lunch, and Alfie and Kat marry.

After a while, Alfie borrows several thousand pounds from Andy to bail out Kat's father, Charlie (Derek Martin), who has been arrested for assault. Andy begins demanding cash every week, which he knows Alfie cannot afford. Andy's plan to wreck the Moons' marriage starts to work and Andy offers Kat the chance to pay off the debt by spending time with him in bed. She reluctantly agrees and they sleep together, with a reluctant Kat oozing with guilt. Though unknown to her, Alfie has paid Andy the money. Andy keeps the money and gives Alfie a video tape of Kat cheating on Alfie with him. They watch the sex tape together and she reveals the whole story behind her infidelity. When Alfie insults Kat, she slaps him, with him doing the same thing. Afterwards, the couple attempt to put the incident behind them but their marriage starts to deteriorate and Alfie is unable to trust Kat. She moves out of Walford for while. During her return, it is seen that Kat has become an alcoholic and isn't bothered by the fact that Alfie wants them to resume their marriage. Kat has sex with Roger (Russell Boulter), a stranger, while intoxicated and finally sees sense, deciding to return to Alfie, but he discovers she has slept with a man she doesn't know and throws her out, so she leaves Walford again.

Alfie shares a mutual connection with Little Mo Mitchell (Kacey Ainsworth), whose marriage to Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick) has collapsed. Alfie helps Mo bring up her baby, Freddie, and they decide to announce that they are an item. However, Kat returns before they have a chance, and she makes it clear that she wants Alfie back. He is torn between the two sisters, eventually choosing Kat. He lets Mo down gently, and they share a final goodbye hug, which Billy assumes is them getting together. In the pub, Billy drunkenly announces that Alfie and Little Mo are an item. Kat is furious and decides not to get together with Alfie, so as not to break her sister's heart. However, Alfie and Kat continue to grow closer, due to Kat's relationship with Alfie's grandmother, who is dying. After Kat helps Alfie complete some of Nana's final wishes and overcome her death, they long for each other. Alfie announces that he is leaving to drive across the United States in a Ford Capri, and it seems he has gone for good when he waves goodbye to a heartbroken Kat on Christmas Day 2005. After getting drunk and drowning her sorrows in the pub, Kat is stunned to see Alfie waiting for her outside. Kat and Alfie then get into the car together and drive off.

Kat returns to London, revealing that she and Alfie conned a man called Frankie Finnerty and she is now on the run. His relatives Lee and Jono Finnerty (Dylan Brown and Colin Parry) track her down but Alfie scares them off by pretending to be a CID officer, though they take most of Kat's money. Alfie and Kat have a heart to heart and it is revealed that Alfie spent six months in prison for property fraud and they tried to have a baby but he has fertility problems. Kat is not interested and tries to leave, telling him that she is pregnant and he is not the father. Alfie doubles the remainder of Kat's money in a bet and promises to stop scamming and get a proper job. Kat gives him 24 hours. He uses Kat's money and uses it to rent The Queen Victoria from Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden). Kat is angry and demands he get the money back as they need a regular income. Instead, he sets up an illegal drinking den in the cellar and they move into Kim Fox's (Tameka Empson) caravan on the Square.

Alfie hires Greg Jessop (Stefan Booth) to refurbish The Queen Victoria and Alfie's cousin, Michael Moon (Steve John Shepherd), gives him money for the Queen Victoria lease. He introduces Michael to Kat and Michael says that he is returning to Spain and asks her to go with him. He leaves a letter and some money for Alfie, revealing that he is the baby's father. Alfie tells Kat that he wants the baby but she doesn't believe him and agrees to leave with Michael but changes her mind when she sees that Alfie has bought a cot and some baby toys. Alfie struggles to pay the rent and tries gambling again but loses. However, Phil's cousin Roxy Mitchell (Rita Simons) helps out by paying two months rent for him and he shows Kat the newly refurbished pub. However, on the day of the grand opening, there is a problem so the pub doesn't open until the next day. Kat sees Alfie and Roxy together and fights with Roxy. Alfie takes Roxy's side and ejects Kat but they reconcile and Alfie suggests renewing their wedding vows and Kat agrees. The day does not go quite according to plan as Alfie helps Roxy with her sister Ronnie's (Samantha Womack) wedding. However, Kat decides that she does not need a big ceremony so she and Alfie have one in the Square with just him and Kat.

Kat gives birth to a boy named Tommy but is rushed to hospital as she haemorrhages, due to a damaged placenta. Charlie decides to join the New Year's party, rather than stay with Tommy so he is unattended when Ronnie Mitchell finds herself in the Vic with her dead son and she swaps the babies. When Alfie gets home, he finds "Tommy" dead in his cot. Kat and Alfie struggle to cope with their loss but eventually start to deal with it until Michael returns, wanting to see his son. Kat tells Michael to leave but he stays because he has friends locally. Kat kisses Michael but he rejects her, leading her to break down. Eventually Alfie moves out after they have a row and goes away for a weekend with Michael. Kat tells Alfie that a coroner has confirmed that Tommy (James) died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. He comforts her and they reconcile. Eventually, Ronnie admits to Kat that she swapped the babies and returns Tommy. Alfie and Kat are reunited with Tommy after talking to a social worker. Ronnie goes to prison for her crime and Kat forgives her. She and Alfie holiday in Spain, leaving Alfie's cousin, Eddie Moon (David Essex), to look after the pub. When they return, they bring Shenice Quinn (Lily Harvey) with them, daughter of Kat's friend, Martina Quinn (Tamara Wall). Kat finds out she is pregnant and Alfie asks who the father is, refusing to believe Kat has not cheated. Alfie realises he has gone too far but Kat is not interested in his apologies, even after she miscarries. She tells him she does not want any more children and that their relationship will just be for show from now on, leading her to have a one-night stand with Mark Garland (Chris Simmons), which she regrets after hearing Alfie's voicemail, saying how much he loves her. Alfie takes Kat, Tommy and Shenice on holiday but when they return, Kat tells Alfie that she cheated. They discuss it and Alfie insists that he would rather Kat cheat on him than not have her in his life. Kat isn't happy and is further upset when Alfie will not allow her to explain that she did not cheat again. They try to mend things over Christmas but Alfie hears Kat say that she does not think he loves her. Alfie pays a friend Gerry (Paul Reynolds) to claim he is a marriage counsellor and tell Kat that their marriage can be mended. However, when Alfie deliberately leaves them alone, she says she thinks Alfie does not love her and she wants to end the marriage. Gerry tries to tell Alfie but he thinks that Gerry has helped. When Charlie has a stroke, Alfie and Kat visit but he returns alone. Derek Branning (Jamie Foreman) gets Alfie into a VAT scam and Alfie helps Roxy and Billy set Derek up by intercepting his alcohol deliveries. Alfie struggles financially and considers firing Jean and stores Derek's goods at the pub to earn extra cash but when Phil demands Alfie stop, Derek arranges with Alfie and Billy to steal a large amount of alcohol. However, Derek is scammed by Alfie and Billy and he suspects Phil conned him. When Billy is arrested on suspicion of murdering Heather Trott (Cheryl Fergison), Derek worries that he may implicate them in the alcohol theft and asks Alfie to frame Phil by hiding goods at his garage. However, Alfie is caught and Phil confronts him, making it clear that Alfie takes orders from him, not Derek. When Derek learns that Alfie has told Phil everything, he furiously threatens Alfie.

In Kat's absence, Alfie and Roxy become close friends and Roxy tells Alfie that she is in love with him. This makes things awkward and she quits her job at the pub. After a while, Alfie manages to convince Roxy to return and offers her a place to stay. Jean is conned out of money that belongs to The Queen Victoria while Alfie is away and when he returns, he borrows money from Roxy to pay the bills, angering Kat. Alfie starts a pub football team and pays more attention to that than to Kat, so she starts an affair. Kat tries to resist but eventually the affair turns to love. When Kat's lover sends her flowers, Alfie becomes suspicious and asks Kat if she is seeing someone else. She denies it initially but eventually admits it, refusing to say who the other man is. Alfie demand Kat end the affair but Alfie struggles to trust Kat, especially when he finds a ring he thought had been pawned. Wanting to catch her out, Alfie says he will be away overnight and follows her to a nearby flat, demanding to know who Kat is seeing but she still refuses to name him. Alfie finds a letter to Mr Branning and confronts the three brothers, attacking Max when he sees that Kat is calling. Kat arrives and tells him that she is seeing Derek. Alfie throws Kat out again and Derek makes matters worse when he plays Alfie a message, asking to meet. Alfie hits Derek and tells him that he is barred before giving Derek his wedding ring to give to Kat. Alfie starts dating Roxy and asks her to move in and they declare their love for each other. Alfie helps Kat when she is questioned over stolen goods, but to prove to Roxy that he loves her, Alfie decides to get a divorce. Alfie and Roxy decide to try for a baby, but when Kat and Alfie's decree nisi comes through, it is apparent that Alfie still loves Kat. He is determined to move on so proposes to Roxy and she accepts.

Alfie discovers Ronnie is being released from prison but thinks that she will not return to Walford. He is angry to discover that she has and demands Roxy choose, him or Ronnie. Roxy chooses Alfie but Kat persuades him to accept Ronnie's presence and let Roxy see her sister. Kat supports Alfie after Michael's death and the two become closer. The night before his wedding, Alfie visits Kat and they kiss passionately. On his wedding day, Alfie tells Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) that he still loves Kat but marries Roxy. Roxy realises that Alfie is still in love with Kat and orders him out of the church. He learns that Kat is going to Ibiza and races to the airport. They reconcile, moments before her flight is due to depart. As revenge for Alfie's treatment of Roxy, Phil sells The Vic, forcing Alfie and Kat out. Kat tells Alfie that she is pregnant and they move in with Kat's grandmother, Mo Harris (Laila Morse). Kat has a market stall, selling women's clothes, but Alfie isn't as successful as goes to help Spencer in Australia for a while. He returns a month later and tells Kat that he has just bought a classic Ford Capri. After a night in a posh hotel, they return to Walford and Alfie sets up a burger bar on the Square but this is taken away so he sets up a men's clothes stall instead. This doesn't last thanks to a feud with the market inspector, Aleks Shirovs (Kristian Kiehling), so he gets a job at Ian's café. Kat and Alfie are thrilled when their twin sons, Bert and Ernie (Freddie and Stanley Beale), are born.

Alfie receives a letter from the council, stating that they are due to be evicted from number 23 Albert Square. He doesn't tell Kat but Stacey finds it and forces him to tell Kat and Mo. Alfie tells Kat that he has got a bank loan but considers starting a fire for the insurance money. Despite Mick Carter (Danny Dyer) advising him against it, he drops a lit cigarette into a paper-filled wastebasket. When outside, he learns Kat is in the house and rushes back to rescue her but Mo's stash of dodgy hairspray causes an explosion, just as Alfie opens the front door. He rescues Kat regardless, receiving minor burns, but Kat is badly burnt. Alfie and the Moons are supported by the local community and stay with the Masood family. Alfie is praised as a hero, despite being suspected by local firefighter Tosh. However, the fire investigation officer declares the fire an accident but Mick Carter advises him not to tell Kat that he started the fire and when Kat thanks him for saving her life, he takes Mick's advice. He is relieved when the fire investigation officer Neil Wallace informs him that the insurers will probably pay for the damage to be repaired but Stacey finds the picture of Nana Moon and realizes Alfie started the fire and demands Alfie tell Kat but he refuses, creating a rift between them. The insurance company also refuse to pay for the damage as Mo's quantity of hairspray is listed as commercial goods, invalidating the policy. He tells Stacey and she suggests ringing the insurance company again but Alfie refuses, adamant that they won’t change their decision and blames Mo. Stacey then suggests Alfie use the proceeds from selling the Capri to sort out their finances but he can't as the money was spent on food and the children. Masood returns home and asks Alfie when they'll be moving out as the house is too crowded but Alfie loses his temper with Masood and accuses him of kicking them out.

Needing a place of their own, Alfie tries to persuade an estate agent to let him stay in number 43 for a couple of nights but the agent dismisses the idea. So he goes to the council for temporary accommodation and is told that all they can offer is one night in a bed and breakfast. Returning to the Square, Alfie tells Stacey about the mess they’re in and she insists he tell Kat the truth but before he can, she asks him to marry her. He agrees and they marry at the registrar's office with two nurses as witnesses and return to Walford. They squat in a couple of places before Mick Carter invites them to stay at the Vic. After an emotional speech from Kat to the social housing manager, they are offered a council house in Hull but just as they are about to leave, Kat finds a photo of Nana. Wanting to know how it survived the fire, Alfie admits that he started it and tries to apologise, but Kat leaves him, moving in with Stacey and Lily. Later, as Christmas approaches, Alfie tells Kat that he will try to fix things.

Mo tells Kat that Harry left her some money in his will. Alfie finds out, and tries to convince her to use the money to make a fresh start after the divorce but she destroys the cheque, insisting it doesn't change the past nor their impending divorce. Kat has second thoughts about the divorce after Pam Coker (Lin Blakley) gives a speech about love and family and Stacey tells Alfie that their rent is increasing and Kat is struggling financially so Alfie invites Kat to his flat for lunch and they reminisce about their relationship. The next day, Kat lashes out at Alfie for leaving leftovers for the kids, but at Stacey's urging, she agrees to be his date to Ian and Jane's wedding if he makes more effort for making up for the fire.

Mo has Harry's money transferred to her account and tells Alfie. He insists that this is not good for Kat and tells her so she burns the money. Sadly, this makes her very depressed and she tries to commit suicide but Alfie finds her and calls an ambulance. At the hospital, he admits that he is still in love with her. He takes her home and decides to stay temporarily to help her with the kids and her assessment by Social Services. During the social worker's visit, Kat is withdrawn and won't answer questions, insisting she is fine but Alfie tells the social worker that they are working on it and admits feeling guilty for starting the fire. After Kat visits a convent (Zoe's birthplace), she makes peace with the past and tells Alfie and Stacey that she will claim the money. Alfie and Stacey discover that Kat's claim won't grant her any money so he takes Kat on a trip to central London, giving them a chance to reminisce before having lunch at a posh restaurant. Kat knows that she won't get any compensation and is disgusted when Alfie tells her he already knew. Soon after, Kat takes the opportunity to tell Alfie that she wants them to reconcile and although initially resisting, he changes his mind once back in Walford. On the spur of the moment, they buy a scratch card and realise they've won a million pounds. Alfie and Kat decide to use the money to move somewhere new and run a bar. Alfie suggests going to Australia but he and Kat decide to return to Spain so she can be closer to Zoe. But after tests, a doctor tells Alfie he may have a brain tumour. Kat buys plane tickets for the next day and Alfie chooses not to tell Kat about the tumour and ignore warnings that the tumour will grow. Sonia Jackson also advises him not to fly as this could cause problems so they drive to Spain.

On Christmas Day 2015, Kat returns to Walford to spend Christmas with Stacey. Alfie follows with the boys. While at Mick's stag party, Alfie tells Ian and Phil that he may have a brain tumour. Ian and Phil go with him to a hospital appointment, where he learns that the tumour has stopped growing but he may need an operation if he begins showing symptoms. Alfie tells Kat about his tumour and in turn, Kat tells Alfie that she has a son living in Ireland. After Charlie dies, Kat and Alfie decide to search for her son. After saying their goodbyes, Kat and Alfie depart.

In episode 1 of "Kat & Alfie: Redwater", Alfie, Kat and Tommy arrive in the Irish town of Redwater, saying they are on holiday. Alfie tells Kat to make friends before asking questions and trying to find her son and when she immediately thinks it is Andrew Kelly (Peter Campion), Alfie warns her that she could be wrong. Alfie starts to have visions and gets scared when he goes outside in the night and almost falls from a cliff. Alfie finds out about the Redwater Tragedy from local priest, Dermott Dolan (Oisín Stack), in which Dermott's mother, Iris Dolan (Orla Hannon) drowned in a boating accident. In episode 2, Alfie gets stuck up a cliff when helping Tommy, but Dermott rescues him. Tommy goes missing but Kat finds him in the church and discovers that Dermott is her son. In episode 3, Alfie realises that Kat lied to Dermott about who Dermott's father is, which results in an argument. By episode 5, Alfie is worried about his hallucinations and has a brain scan, lying to Kat about where he is going. He then tells Dermott that his tumour has grown and asks Dermott to baptise him, which he does. In episode 6, Alfie prepares for an operation on his brain, and is told his recovery could take weeks so he will be unable to return to Spain as planned. He asks Dermott to bring Kat to the hospital, but Dermott does not do this because the police suspect he was involved in the death of Lance Byrne (Ian McElhinney). Alfie is unable to wait and during the surgery, Alfie loses his pulse and at the same time, Kat is seriously injured in a boating accident caused by Dermott's attempting to escape. Medical staff start to resuscitate Alfie as the episode ends.

Having recovered from his operation, Alfie and Kat return to Spain to run a bar. Kat's grandmother Mo Harris (Laila Morse) reveals in March 2018 that Kat and Alfie had an argument and that he fled with the children shortly afterwards and no one knows where he is. On her return to Walford shortly afterwards, Kat reveals that Alfie is in Spain with their children, running a different bar with a Russian partner, Dimitri, after their old bar lost a fortune. She insists that the two are taking a break from their marriage. Two months later, Hayley Slater (Katie Jarvis) visits Alfie, who is staying in London, and it is revealed that Alfie threw Kat out after Tommy accidentally caused severe burns to Ernie while she was in bed with Dimitri. Hayley reveals that she is pregnant and that Alfie is the father following a drunken one night stand in Spain. Alfie tries to persuade Hayley to terminate the pregnancy and returns to Spain, but Hayley decides to keep the baby.

Kat gets a video call from Alfie and he asks her to collect something for him. Believing him to still be in Spain, she follows his instructions and goes to a chapel where she is surprised to see Alfie in person. Alfie is running a funeral business and has many clients lined up, but Kat is unimpressed and only sees it as a scam. She is angry that he has not brought their children with him, but apologies for cheating on him with Dimitri. Kat tells him to stop his lies and jokes and she leaves. The following week Kat speaks to Alfie, who is back in Spain, by video call and she is angry when he says he lied to her and actually did bring the children with him to London. Two weeks later, during Hayley's birthday party, Kat answers the door and is shocked to see Alfie standing on the doorstep. Though he reunites with Kat, he is stunned to realise that Hayley did not terminate her pregnancy, and insists they keep the truth hidden from Kat. Hayley develops feelings for him when she sees him bond with their daughter, named Cherry by Alfie after his deceased mother. Jean, who is the only one who has found out about Alfie being Cherry's father, insists that Alfie tell Kat or she will.

Stacey sees Hayley and Alfie kissing and is horrified to uncover Cherry's paternity and issues an ultimatum: one of them leaves, or Kat learns the truth. Hayley decides to go, but her parting gift to Alfie – a lock of Cherry's hair – is discovered by Kat and she works out the truth. After a furious showdown, Alfie turns nasty with Kat, who accuses him of taking advantage of Hayley's vulnerability. Hayley defends Kat and pushes Alfie, causing him to fall down the stairs and knock himself unconscious. Believing that he is dead, Hayley, Kat and Stacey discuss what to do to protect Hayley from going to prison. Kat privately says a tender goodbye to Alfie, kissing him and telling him she loves him. As the police arrive, they discover that Alfie survived and has left, taking Cherry with him. The next day, Alfie meets Phil, who gives him fake passports but warns Alfie to think carefully about his plans. Alfie eventually contacts Kat and Hayley via video chat and says he will bring Cherry back soon. On New Year's Day, Alfie and Kat meet and Kat tries to talk him into returning Cherry but Alfie admits he cannot bring himself to do it, fearing he would only be granted limited visitation time, and suggests he and Kat adopt Cherry and leave together. Kat tells Alfie she accepts and brings Alfie to the house, claiming it is empty but when Alfie arrives, he is confronted by Stacey, Mo and Jean. Angry and upset, he shows them Ernie's scars caused by Kat's irresponsibility. When Kat takes the children for ice cream, she gives Alfie the option to take them with him on the condition that he brings Cherry back to Hayley. Alfie eventually relents to return Cherry and leave their children with Kat, admitting that he loves her and only wanted her to be happy. The next day, after emotionally attempting to say goodbye to Cherry, Alfie changes his mind and attempts to drive out of Walford with her but finds himself stuck in traffic. This forces him to reevaluate his decision and he turns back and returns Cherry to Hayley. An overjoyed but protective Hayley tells a dejected Alfie that she cannot let him be a part of Cherry's life. After learning of this from Ian, a sympathetic Kat allows him to spend time with their children.

Several days later, Alfie does some DIY work at the Slater house, while Kat resists all his attempts to charm her but eventually relents to an early birthday lunch at the Vic with him, Mo, Jean, Stacey, her husband Martin Fowler (James Bye) and Cherry, whom Hayley allows him to bring along for the day. After finding that his credit card has been declined and making a toast to Kat, Alfie receives a phone call from the bank, causing him to rush over to the Beale house where he is staying where he finds overdue bills from running his funeral business. The next day, after Alfie unsuccessfully tries to help Hayley with feeding Cherry her breast milk, the father of a deceased client accuses Alfie of stealing his son's money after a mix-up with the funeral plans, and Ian threatens to kick Alfie out for stealing his food. Under stress, Alfie confesses his troubles to a horrified Kat, including the fact that some of money was paid for her new fireplace. In order to reimburse the client's family and pay the bills, Alfie decides to look for investors for the business and Ian offers to buy a 50% stake in the business for a loan with 20% interest, which he accepts. Later, after explaining this to a concerned Kat, who reprimands him for his schemes, Alfie and the rest of the Slaters are stunned to find Hayley unconscious from drinking after locking herself in the bathroom with Cherry.

Alfie Moon was conceptualised by "EastEnders"' scriptwriter Tony Jordan. The character is based on Jordan himself. Jordan has commented, "Alfie is basically me – a Jack The Lad in jeans, cowboy boots and dodgy shirts who wears his heart on his sleeve." Julia Crampsie, the BBC's casting executive, recommended that Shane Richie be considered for the role. Richie was already a familiar face to the UK audience, having had a career as an entertainer, appearing in various gameshows, variety shows and facing advert campaigns, most notably for the washing detergent Daz. Jordan was apprehensive about casting Ritchie in the role. He commented, "I just had this image of the guy with the mullet from the Daz adverts. And if we had Shane where would it stop? Harry Hill? Les Dennis? Bradley Walsh? But Julia was insistent, so I went to a workshop where we'd see lots of actors and [Richie] was fantastic."

Jordan has suggested that many of the rows featured on-screen between Alfie and his love-interest Kat were word-for-word arguments he had with his wife, Tracy. He commented, "We'd be watching EastEnders at home, then an Alfie and Kat scene would start and I'd think, 'Oh shit', because I'd know what was coming. And then we'd have another row about how I don't argue properly because when we do argue I'm just making mental notes for stuff to write the next day."

On 7 February 2010 it was announced that Richie would return to the show to reprise the role in autumn 2010. The decision was made following the resignation from the show of Barbara Windsor, who played Peggy Mitchell, which left what executive producer Bryan Kirkwood described as a "hole" in the programme. Kirkwood decided that the time was right for Kat and Alfie to return, saying that they "very much herald the new era of "EastEnders"." Richie had ruled out a return in 2009, saying that the show had moved on from his character and he felt he did not have the energy to be in such a "full-on" show again. Richie commented on his return: "It's an honour and a privilege to be asked back to the iconic series of "EastEnders" which is at the top of its game! I'm looking forward to finding out what Alfie has been up to over the last few years but more importantly – what the future has in store for him." John Yorke, controller of BBC drama production, said: "Alfie is one of "EastEnders" most loved and iconic characters, so he's bound to get a very warm welcome from viewers when he returns to Walford. We've had so many new and interesting characters settle into Albert Square since Alfie departed that it's going to make for fantastic viewing when one of the show's most familiar faces rides back into the East End." It was reported by "The Daily Mirror" that Alfie and Kat would regain control of The Queen Victoria public house after it burns down. Controller of BBC drama production John Yorke predicted that their return would make "fantastic viewing", given the wealth of new characters introduced since their departure. Wallace signed an initial one-year contract, and returned to filming in July. Wallace and Richie were the first cast members signed by new executive producer Bryan Kirkwood.

The plot saw Alfie and Kat regaining control of The Queen Victoria public house after it burned down, and Kat returning to Walford pregnant, with some public suspicions about the paternity of her child. To promote the characters' return, the BBC released a trailer across the BBC network in September 2010. The western-themed trailer sees Kat outside of The Queen Victoria, with various characters looking on and Kat saying "Where d'ya get a drink around 'ere?" with Alfie replying "I think you're gonna' need one." The advertisement uses the tag line "It's all kicking off in the square". The return, in September 2010, drew 9.22 million viewers and 37.7% of the total TV viewing audience. Kat returned on 17 September 2010.

Talking to "What's on TV", Wallace commented on Kat's reunion with Alfie. She said: "She punches him! Alfie has come looking for her and hasn't seen her for months. He keeps saying to her 'You're fat' and she says 'I'm not fat. I'm pregnant!' Then she says, 'Don't worry Alfie, it ain't yours'. She's peed off with him. He's been in prison and she's had to survive on her own pregnant. But she loves him unconditionally. No matter what they do, they will always end up together. She wants stability... a future for the baby and her. She sets him this challenge and he buys it."

Richie revealed in an interview with "This Morning" that Kat and Alfie would be involved in an ongoing storyline, which he said is "going to be the biggest soap story in probably the history of soaps." At the end of 2010, Kat and Ronnie both give birth on the same day, but Ronnie's baby, James, dies and while Kat is in hospital and her baby, Tommy, is unattended, Ronnie swaps the infants. The storyline received over 6,000 complaints, making it the second most complained about "EastEnders" storyline. It was then decided to end the storyline earlier than originally planned. It was reported by the "Daily Star Sunday" that Ronnie experiences a change of heart after visiting relatives in hospital and seeing the midwife who delivered her son. An "EastEnders" spokesperson said, "We do not comment on future storylines but we have always said Ronnie will do the right thing and Tommy will be reunited with Kat." Wallace revealed that she doesn't regret her involvement of the baby-swap storyline, saying that she was "just doing her job". Wallace told "Bang Showbiz":"I stand by it. We're actors at the end of the day, we do our job and then we go home. It's drama, that's it." She also praised Womack's acting and will move on to "bigger and better things" once she departs later this year. She added: "[Samantha is] a fantastic actress who played a brilliant role in a fantastic storyline so I wish her all the best."

Derek Martin said he was surprised by the new baby swap storyline when it was published in the media. Speaking on "This Morning", Martin commented: "I'm one of those actors – I don't know how many others do it – but when I get the scripts, I only read my bits. So I looked [and saw], 'Charlie leaves his grandson upstairs, goes downstairs, gets on the drink, gets drunk – the baby's dead'. So that's terrible guilt obviously – because I feel as though it's my fault that he's died. I was surprised when I saw the story come out – because I don't read the others' [lines] – that it was a baby swap." Discussing the surrounding controversy of the plot, Martin added: "Don't forget, there's millions of people – there's 60 odd million here, and they've all got different opinions. Every subject, everything that comes up… everybody will have opinions about that. So therefore you have to accept that's the public – some are for, some are against, and that's the way it is." He continues: "Over the years, don't forget, EastEnders have always had subjects. When [Charlie's] brother had raped Kat and we didn't find out until later on, that was a very strong storyline. And when Little Mo was bashed by her husband Trevor. These stories are all part of real life."

Samantha Womack admitted that she thought the plot was "implausible". She commented: "I thought it was implausible. Most women who lose a child would not go out and abduct one," she told "The Mirror". "But Ronnie is a soap character and she is not necessarily representing real life. Soap is based on controversy and sensationalism because bosses are trying to get high ratings and they can't write things like 'Ronnie had a cup of tea'. Otherwise people wouldn't watch it." On 1 August 2011, Ofcom cleared the storyline. The baby swap storyline prompted a huge 1,044 complaints reported to Ofcom. Ofcom also added that many of the complaints were made because the storyline was presented "in an offensive manner" because it "appeared to suggest that a mother who has suddenly and tragically lost a baby through cot death would react by stealing another baby to replace that loss". Kym Marsh supported Ofcom's decision to clear the storyline. Marsh wrote in her magazine section: "Last week, EastEnders was cleared of wrongdoing by Ofcom, the media regulator, over its baby swap storyline, and I think that's the right decision. It's just a storyline, like any other. I understand why people got upset about it, but no-one meant to upset anybody. Soaps are supposed to portray real life to a certain extent, but it's meant to be high drama for entertainment purposes. I mean, how many murders can you have in one square? There's a nod to real life but, for the most part, soaps help take people out of the real world."

In August 2014, it was revealed that a fire would engulf the Slater house. On 2 September, it was revealed that Alfie would start the fire in return of an insurance claim, after having been broke following the birth of the twins, with Kat still inside. The fire and its aftermath took place on the week of 15 September 2014.

On 4 April 2015, it was announced that Richie would appear in a six-part BBC One drama series alongside Wallace. In the series, Kat and Alfie Moon will go to Ireland in the "search for answers to some very big questions". Commenting on the opportunity, 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, "", started in the UK on 18 May 2017 and Ireland on 14 May 2017.

In March 2018 it was confirmed that Alfie would return to the show for a short stint to rejoin Kat. It was said that Richie would start filming in the coming weeks, and Alfie would reappear from summer 2018. However in April 2018 it was confirmed that Alfie's return would in fact be permanent. He returned on 24 May 2018. He appeared for two episodes before making a full return in November.

Richie has received immediate acclaim for bringing humour to a programme so depressing and has won a number of awards and nominations for his portrayal of Alfie. In the National Television Awards, he won Most Popular Actor in 2003, with nominations in 2004 and 2005. He was nominated in the Best Newcomer and Best Comedy Performance categories at the British Soap Awards in 2003, and won Best Actor in 2004 along with nominations for Best Comedy Performance and Best On-Screen Partnership (shared with Wallace). He also won Best Actor in 2005, and was nominated in 2006, as well as being nominated for Best Exit along with Wallace in 2006. He was further nominated in 2011 for 'Best Actor. Richie won Funniest Character, Sexiest Male and Best Newcomer at the 2003 Inside Soap Awards and Richie, Wallace and Parker won the award for Best Family. Richie and Wallace won Best Couple in the 2004 Inside Soap Awards and Richie, Wallace, Parker and Braid won the accolade for Best Family for the second year. He was shortlisted in the 'Best Actor' category at the 2012 Inside Soap Awards and was shortlisted for the Funniest Male accolade in the 2014 Inside Soap Awards. At the TV Quick Awards, he was awarded Best Soap Newcomer in 2003, and Best Soap Actor in 2004 and 2005. In 2004, he won a Rose d'Or for Best Performance in a Soap.

Alfie Moon is played by Shane Richie. The character originally appeared in the soap opera "EastEnders" from 2002 to 2005, and 2010 to 2016. Before his departure from "EastEnders", he discovers he has a mass on his brain. Of Alfie's part in "Redwater", Richie said, "Alfie's journey is to help his wife find her son but at the same time he has his own dark secret which he's keeping." Richie later said, "For the first time in 15 years, [Alfie] questions himself as a father, a husband and as a life, it feels like it's coming to an end for him. [...] Alfie starts getting hallucinations and one in particular is quite harrowing."

List of Kat & Alfie: Redwater characters

These are the family trees for the characters in "Kat & Alfie: Redwater", as understood at the start of the series.

Lance Byrne is played by Ian McElhinney. Lance has lived in Redwater all his life. McElhinney described Lance as a "patriarch" but "quite weak" while his wife, Agnes, "rules the roost", and "he's quite happy to be a character in the town with the kind of respect that comes from having been around for quite a while being the 'grand old man' of the village." He enjoys riding his horse, swimming, drinking and "[coming] out with pieces of wisdom". He has empathy towards the Kat and Alfie and is "very happy to embrace them" because he is a "good bloke". Lance has a "special bond" with his great-granddaughter, Adeen, and they get on because Lance is "a bit of a kid" who never grew up, having enjoyed his life being a "lad" despite marrying and having children, and "the kid in him likes the kid in her [Adeen]."

In episode1, Lance is seen in a flashback, where he rescues a young Dermott, Andrew and Kieran from a boating accident, while he is unable to save Dermott's mother, Iris. In the present day, Lance discovers that Kathleen has come to Redwater to find her son who was adopted 33 years ago. He tells Agnes, and both of them know the identity of Kathleen's son. Agnes tells Lance that they will not give Kathleen any information, and it would ruin everything they had built up. Lance decides to tell Dermott that Peter is not his real father and Iris was in London when she lost her baby and then brought Dermott back as her own, and Peter does not know the truth. Dermott decides to think about this overnight. The next morning. Dermott finds Lance in the sea during his morning swim and gives him a sacramental bread, which Lance eats. Dermott then pushes Lance into the sea and drowns him while praying for his soul and then forgiving him.

Padraig Kelly is played by Stephen Hogan. He is married to Roisín and is Andrew's father. Hogan said that Padraig is a "kind man" whose "main concerns are the welfare of his family". Maria Doyle Kennedy, who plays Roisín, said that Padraig has an "artistic life" and is not very interested in his wife's farming life. Doyle Kennedy said that they were in love once and had a child very young, and felt that the relationship then was a "youthful, possibly impetuous courtship and decision to marry that maybe hasn't worked out quite the way they thought it would." Roisín stays in her marriage because it is "the thing to do" even though they are mostly irritated by each other and tend to avoid each other.

Peter Dolan is played by Stanley Townsend. He is the landlord of the pub in Redwater.

In episode1, it is revealed that his wife, Iris, who died in a boating accident, lost a child in London and took Kathleen's child and brought him back to Ireland as her own, and Peter is unaware that Dermott is not his son.

Andrew Kelly is played by Peter Campion. In flashback, young Andrew is played by Ryan Burke. He is the son of Padraig and Roisín, and is married to Bernie. Campion called Andrew a "grafter", the family's "backbone" and "sole breadwinner". Doyle Kennedy said that Roisín seems close to Andrew and his own family, but she is "almost overprotective", which may be because of the tragedy that affected the family in the past, and she relies on Andrew. It is revealed in episode 3 that he and his cousin Kieran have feelings for each other as they kiss. They kiss again before Andrew's son's christening but later decide it is not worth the damage. Andrew's last scene appears to show him about to have sex with Kieran.

Kieran Harrington is played by Ian Toner. In flashback, young Kieran is played by Anton Giltrap.

Father Dermott Dolan is played by Oisín Stack. In flashback, young Dermott is played by Eoin Daly. In "EastEnders" episodes broadcast in January 2016, Kathleen discovers she gave birth to a son, Luke, after she passed out during the birth of her daughter Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan). A nun, Sister Ruth (June Whitfield), explains that Kat's family, fearing that the child would turn out like his paedophile father, Kat's uncle, Harry Slater (Michael Elphick), handed him to the nuns in the convent where he was born. The nuns named him Luke and arranged for him to be adopted into an Irish family. In "Redwater" first episode, Dermott is seen in a flashback scene, where he is involved in the Redwater Tragedy that kills his mother, Iris. 21 years later, Kathleen and Alfie arrive in Redwater, where Kat is attempting to find her son. Kathleen quickly befriends Dermott, the local Catholic priest, and Lance. Dermott is angry at being delivered orange juice by the local dairy farm when he has not requested it. After Kathleen confides in Lance that she is searching for her son, he tells his wife, Agnes, this, and they both know the true identity of her son. Agnes insists that nothing is said, but Lance tells Dermott that Iris and Peter are not his parents and that Iris lost her baby while staying in London, so brought back Kathleen's son as her own, and Peter does not know the truth. Lance offers to mediate between Dermott and Kathleen, so Dermott decides to think about it and speak to Lance the next morning. The next day, after finding more orange juice has been delivered, Dermott meets Lance while Lance is swimming in the sea and makes him eat a sacramental wafer and then drowns him in the sea while flashing back to the tragedy, where he lets go of Iris's hand, allowing her to die. Dermott prays for Lance's soul, and then forgives him before leaving the scene.

Kathleen Moon is played by Jessie Wallace. The character originally appeared in the soap opera "EastEnders" from 2000 to 2005, and 2010 to 2016, in which she is usually called "Kat". The series of "Kat and Alfie: Redwater" was created because in "EastEnders", Kat and her husband Alfie (Shane Richie) had their marriage on track and needed more stories, and Kat had been "going round in a cycle of bad self-worth every few years, all down to the sexual abuse she suffered as a teenager from her Uncle Harry." It was decided that Kat should be shown as a survivor and move on to the next stage of her life, and she was taken back to "Kathleen", the child she was before she was abused. "Kat & Alfie: Redwater" follows Kat and Alfie as they arrive in the fictional Irish village of Redwater to "search for answers to some very big questions" and put their past behind them. In some of Kat's final "EastEnders" episodes, she discovers that she gave birth to a son, Luke, after she passed out during the birth of her daughter Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan); Luke was adopted by a family in Ireland without Kat knowing he existed. Kat's sister Belinda Peacock (Carli Norris) recalls a time the family (minus Kat) went to Redwater and they conclude that Luke must be there. Treadwell-Collins confirmed that "the discovery that Kat has a secret son will [...] ultimately lead to the Moons realising that the answers to so many questions lie across the sea in Ireland." Director Jesper W. Nielsen said the series is "About how one woman's search for a lost child opens Pandora's box; revealing the terrible lies and secrets in the little village of Redwater". "Redwater" writer Matthew Graham said, "Kathleen Moon is an unwitting bomb in "Redwater" and creating the debris from her explosive arrival is what drew me to this project." He also said: "Everything [Kathleen] does comes out of the fact she doesn't think much of herself. So, her humour and her in-your-face qualities all come out of a place of insecurity. She doesn't think she's good enough. That's what I use when I'm writing Kat."

Wallace was given a makeover for her part in "Redwater", different to how Kat looks in "EastEnders". Wallace explained that Kat's different look is because she has "mellowed" since leaving Walford and travelling to Spain, which she described as a "softer side to Kat than we've seen before", but said she still has a "fiery side to her, just not as much as we've seen in "EastEnders". Wallace described Kat as a "colourful person" with "a lot of layers to her" and said that after playing her for 16 years "means there's plenty underneath to bring to the surface." She said that Kat wants "peace and to settle down with no more drama in her life." Wallace also said in "Redwater" she had found another layer to Kat, and the character has become more "Bohemian" though said there are still traces of Kat's "hardness". Wallace performed some of her own stunts in the series, including jumping from a boat into the sea and an underwater sequence. In the series, the character is called "Kathleen" by all characters except Alfie, who calls her "Kat".

Roisín Kelly is played by Maria Doyle Kennedy. She is married to Padraig and is Andrew's mother. She is also daughter of Lance and Agnes and sister to Eileen. Doyle Kennedy described Roisín as "quite complicated", different on the outside to how she is inside, "very practical, very stoic and keeps a lid on most of her dreams and passions as there's not much room for them in her life." She added that Roisín is "quite dutiful" in working on her parents' farm because she has not much time for other things. Of Roisín's relationship with Padraig, Doyle Kennedy said that they were in love once and had a child very young, and felt that the relationship then was a "youthful, possibly impetuous courtship and decision to marry that maybe hasn't worked out quite the way they thought it would." Roisín stays in her marriage because it is "the thing to do" even though they are mostly irritated by each other and tend to avoid each other. Doyle Kennedy said that Roisín's relationship with Eileen is "interesting" and in reality, she and Angeline Ball, who plays her, have been friends for many years. Roisín is resentful of Eileen because Eileen left the farm and Roisín never had the opportunity to do so herself. She said, "They spark off each other in that way that sisters do—they're very sharp, very sarcastic. They're akin to a match and kindling, but there's something strong between them." Ball said Eileen and Roisín's relationship is "strained and competitive" and Eileen could be deeply bitter towards Roisín because Roisín did not suffer a loss and did not have to leave, and called it a "love-hate relationship". Doyle Kennedy said that Roisín seems close to Andrew and his own family, but she is "almost overprotective", which may be because of the tragedy that affected the family in the past. She relies on Andrew more than on Padraig. On Kathleen and Alfie's arrival, Doyle Kennedy said that Roisín is "blasé" about them as "People often come to Redwater on holiday" but sees them as "unusual" and is not suspicious of them.

Agnes Byrne is played by Fionnula Flanagan. She is married to Lance and is mother to Roisín and Eileen. Flanagan described Agnes as "a fascinating character, full of secrets, deceit and manipulation" and later said she "has all the secrets and [does not] want to tell them. [She] want[s] to get in everybody's way, [she is] so horrible" and explained that Agnes is the matriarch of the family that the Moons get involved with. Flanagan explained that to Agnes, family comes first, and "it must be preserved at all costs", so "anything that threatens it must be kept at bay." She added that Agnes is a "tough broad". Flanagan also said of Agnes: "I wonder why this woman hasn't been murdered long ago. [...] [H]ow hasn't someone murdered her? I would. She's very manipulative so that's what makes it yummy to play. Who wants to be nice? This is much more interesting."

Adeen Kelly is played by Ebony O'Toole-Acheampong. O'Toole-Acheampong called Adeen "quite rebellious", "smart", "a very strong person". Adeen and her great-grandfather, Lance, have a "special bond" because Lance is "a bit of a kid" who never grew up, and Adeen is a "wild child" who is similar to Lance, so "the kid in him likes the kid in her."

Bernie Kelly is played by Susan Ateh. She is married to Andrew, and is a local garda. In the show, Bernie is pregnant with her and Andrew's third child. Ateh, who lives in Los Angeles, was told about the part by a friend who saw an advert looking for a mixed race actress. She sent in an audition tape and 10 days later was interviewed over Skype by the director, producers and casting director, and was offered the part a few days later. Ateh described Bernie as "a very strong character".

Eileen Harrington is played by Angeline Ball. Eileen is a daughter of Lance and Agnes, sister of Roisín and mother of Kieran. Ball said that Eileen "has a kind of dual personality that's not always evident." She called the character "a fighter and a survivor" and explained that she left Redwater 20 years ago, which was "a difficult decision", and moved to the United States with her young son. Although Ball described this as "very brave and courageous", she added that Eileen is "quite fragile" and said that "What you see with Eileen is not what you get. Her exterior is very polished and designer-clad, but there's an underlying sadness about her—I guess a grief and loneliness. She feels a bit like an outsider, having left all those years ago." She called Eileen "a strong woman" as she had to fend for herself. She also said that Eileen like to "show that nothing's a big deal" and "appears not to be a deep thinker". Eileen's return to Redwater makes her "less polished, less 'New York'", and her American accent drops away, as does her "hardened exterior". Eileen left Redwater because of her grief after she lost a child to drowning, and because for independence from her "a very strong mother and sister". Doyle Kennedy said that Roisín's relationship with Eileen is "interesting" and in reality, she and Ball have been friends for many years. Roisín is resentful of Eileen because Eileen left the farm and Roisín never had the opportunity to do so herself. She said, "They spark off each other in that way that sisters do—they're very sharp, very sarcastic. They're akin to a match and kindling, but there's something strong between them." Ball said Eileen and Roisín's relationship is "strained and competitive" and Eileen could be deeply bitter towards Roisín because Roisín did not suffer a loss and did not have to leave. She called it a "love-hate relationship".


How large are pomelos?

The fruit is also known as jabong in Hawaii and jambola in varieties of English spoken in South Asia.
Typically, the fruit is pale green to yellow when ripe, with sweet white (or, more rarely, pink or red) flesh, and a very thick albedo (rind pith). It is a large citrus fruit, in diameter, usually weighing. Leaf petioles are distinctly winged.
The typical pomelo is much larger than the grapefruit, and also has a much thicker rind. It tastes like a sweet, mild grapefruit (believed to be a hybrid of "Citrus maxima" and the orange). The flesh has none, or very little, of the common grapefruit's bitterness. The enveloping membranous material around the segments is bitter, considered inedible, and usually discarded.

Pomelo

The pomelo, Citrus maxima or Citrus grandis, is the largest citrus fruit from the Rutaceae family. It is a natural (non-hybrid) citrus fruit, similar in appearance to a large grapefruit, native to South and Southeast Asia. The pomelo is one of the original citrus species from which the rest of cultivated citrus hybridized. The popular fruit is used in many Chinese festive celebrations throughout Southeast Asia.

After a Captain Shaddock of an East India Company ship introduced it to Barbados, the fruit was called "shaddock" in English. From there the name spread to Jamaica in 1696. It remains a common name for the fruit among English authors.

The word "pomelo" (also spelled pomello, pummelo, pommelo, pumelo) has become the more common name, although "pomelo" has historically been used for grapefruit. (The 1973 printing of the American Heritage Dictionary, for example, gives grapefruit as the only meaning of "pomelo.")

The etymology of the word "pomelo" is complex. In Tamil it is called "pampa limāsu", which means big citrus. The name was adopted by the Portuguese as "pomposos limões" and then by the Dutch as "pompelmoes". With some deviations, the name may be found in many European languages, such as German ("pampelmuse"), Latvian ("pampelmūze"), Ido ("pompelmuso"), whereas some other languages use "pomelo" (Turkish, Norwegian, Polish, Bulgarian). In Southeast Asia, it is commonly known as limau besar, limau betawi, or limau serdadu in Malay; jeruk bali in Bahasa Indonesia; ส้มโอ [som o:] in Thai; lukban in Tagalog; buongon in Cebuano; and bu’o’i in Vietnamese.

It has been suggested, but not attested, that "pomelo" is an alteration of a compound of English words "" ("apple") + "melon".

Sometimes, the peel is used to make marmalade. It may be candied, or dipped in chocolate. In Brazil the thick skin is often used for making a sweet conserve, while the spongy pith of the rind is discarded. In Sri Lanka it is often eaten as a dessert, either raw or sprinkled with sugar. Some fatty Asian dishes use sliced pre-soaked pith to absorb the sauce and fat for eating.

In large parts of Southeast Asia, where "Citrus maxima" is native, it is a popular dessert, often eaten raw and sprinkled with, or dipped in, a salt mixture. It is eaten in salads and drinks as well.

"Citrus maxima" is usually grafted onto other citrus rootstocks, but may be grown from seed.

The fruit is said to have been introduced to Japan by a Cantonese captain in the An'ei era (1772–1781). There are two varieties: a sweet kind with white flesh and a sour kind with pinkish flesh, the latter more likely to be used as an altar decoration than eaten. Pomelos often are eaten in Asia during the mid-autumn festival or mooncake festival.

It is one of the ingredients of "Forbidden Fruit", a liqueur dating back to the early twentieth century that also contains honey and brandy. This liqueur is most famously used in the Dorchester cocktail.

A study was conducted on different pummelo accessions from Bengal, India, and a wide variability was observed in the fruit physico-chemical characters. The result shows that the fruit skin colour shows variation from greenish-yellow to orange; most of the fruits are round, and others are oval. The placental tissues shows colour variability from whitish to pink and even reddish. The taste of the juice is usually classified as sweet, but it is sometimes classified as sour or very sweet. Accession-17 had the maximum average weight, 1223.67g; the lightest fruit was accession-16, at 556.33 g. The length and breadth of the fruit was found maximum in accession 17 (13.17 cm) and Accession-20 (12.17 cm) and minimum in accession 14 (10.2 cm) and 11 (8.4 cm). The peel-pulp ratio was maximum in accession 13 and minimum in accession 3. Juice content was found maximum in accession 4 and minimum in accession 3. TSS was observed in ACC-15 (13.6 Brix)and minimum in ACC-13 (10 brix). The total sugar was maximum in ACC-22 (4.33%)and minimum in ACC-3 (4.15%).

Some medicines may interact dangerously with pomelos and some pomelo hybrids, including grapefruit, some limes, and some oranges.

Pomelo leaves are used for aromatic baths. The essential oil can be extracted from the leaves, peel or seeds of some pomelo species. Oil from the seeds of an inferior pomelo species was used to light opium pipes in Indochina. Perfumes are extracted from the flowers using enfleurage. The moderately heavy and hard timber from pomelo trees can be used to make, among other things, tool handles.
The pomelo is one of the original citrus species from which the rest of cultivated citrus hybridized, (others being citron, mandarin, and to a lesser extent, papedas and kumquat). In particular, the common orange and the grapefruit are presumed to be naturally occurring hybrids between the pomelo and the mandarin, with the pomelo providing the larger size and greater firmness.

The pomelo is employed today in artificial breeding programs:


How many championships did the Maryland Terrapins win under Jim Tatum?

From 1947 to 1955, Jim Tatum served as the head coach of the Maryland Terrapins football team, which represented the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) college football. Maryland hired Tatum to replace Clark Shaughnessy after the 1946 season. Tatum had created both success and controversy during his one season as head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners football team. During his nine-year tenure, Tatum became one of the most successful head football coaches in Maryland history, and the Terrapins compiled two national championships, three conference championships, and five bowl game appearances. His teams compiled a 73–15–4 record without a single losing season, and as of the end of 2016, he has the highest winning percentage of any Maryland football coach who coached at least seven games. In 1954, the University of Maryland appointed a new president, Dr. Wilson Elkins, who chose to de-emphasize football. Following the 1955 season, Tatum took a pay cut to coach at his alma mater, North Carolina, and he died four years later.

Maryland Terrapins football under Jim Tatum

During Tatum's tenure, several Maryland players were awarded prestigious individual honors. Two Maryland quarterbacks were runners-up for the Heisman Trophy, which is awarded to college football's most outstanding player. In 1952, Jack Scarbath was a first runner-up to Oklahoma running back Billy Vessels. In 1953, Bernie Faloney was a third runner-up, with John Lattner of Notre Dame winning the award. Dick Modzelewski won the 1952 Outland Trophy, the annual award given to the nation's most outstanding interior lineman.

Seven Maryland players received first-team All-American honors: Bernie Faloney, Stan Jones, Dick Modzelewski, Bob Pellegrini, Mike Sandusky, Jack Scarbath, and Bob Ward (twice honored). Seven Maryland players received second-team All-American honors: Tom Cosgrove, Chet Hanulak, Ray Krouse, Dick Modzelewski, Ed Modzelewski, Ed Vereb, and Bill Walker (twice honored). Also during this period, the Southern Conference (through 1952) and Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) (since 1953) bestowed all-conference honors upon Maryland players twenty-seven times. In later years, two of these players were honored as part of the ACC's 50th Anniversary Team and five were inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Jim Tatum was born in McColl, South Carolina on July 22, 1913. He played football as a left tackle like four of his older brothers. Tatum attended the University of North Carolina where he played for Carl Snavely's Tar Heels and earned All-American honors during his senior year in. The following season, he became Snavely's assistant coach and followed him to Cornell in 1936. Tatum returned to North Carolina in 1940 as an assistant coach under Bear Wolf. In 1942, Tatum was promoted into the head coaching job himself and compiled a 5–2–2 record. The next year, during the Second World War, he enlisted in the United States Navy and served as an assistant coach for the Iowa Pre-Flight School football team under Don Faurot, the inventor of the split-T. Future Oklahoma coach Bud Wilkinson worked as an assistant coach alongside Tatum.

In 1946, with the recommendation of Oklahoma athletic director Jap Haskell, Tatum was hired as the Sooners' head coach and brought Wilkinson as an assistant. Tatum replaced Dewey Luster, who resigned due to ill health. Luster had struggled in the position as the Second World War put a continuous and heavy drain on athletes at the University of Oklahoma. The final game before Luster's resignation was a 0–47 loss at the hands of Oklahoma A&M, which rounded out Oklahoma's 1945 season with a 5–5 record.
In Tatum's one season at Oklahoma, he led the Sooners to an 8–3 finish and a share of the Big Six Conference championship. Tatum and his staff also recruited nine players who became All-Americans: Plato Andros, Buddy Burris, Jack Mitchell, Jim Owens, John Rapacz, Darrell Royal, George Thomas, Wade Walker, and Stan West.

In addition to his team's success on the gridiron, Tatum caused controversy. Buddy Burris, the first three-time All-American at Oklahoma, said, "Jim Tatum was a con-man, a dictator, a tyrant, and one hell of a football coach." Tatum greatly surpassed his allocated budget and linked players with sponsors who sometimes paid or bought clothes for their sponsored players. After a 34–13 Gator Bowl victory over N.C. State, University of Oklahoma president George Cross discovered that Tatum had paid the fifty Sooners players $120 each ($, adjusted for inflation). Cross had explicitly warned Tatum not to do so, as it was a violation of conference rules. With further investigation, it was discovered that $60,000 ($ in inflation-adjusted terms) was unaccounted for in the athletic department budget, which resulted in the relief of athletic director Jap Haskell.

Meanwhile, Tatum resigned to take the head coaching job at Maryland with a $12,000 salary, one-third more than he made at Oklahoma, ($, adjusted for inflation). Oklahoma filled the open coaching job with Tatum's former assistant, Bud Wilkinson.

In Tatum's initial season at Maryland, his results were similar to those at Oklahoma. After compiling a 3–6 record the year prior, the Terrapins improved to 7–2–2 under Tatum. Whereas his predecessor Clark Shaughnessy had pioneered the T-formation, Tatum installed the split-T offense that his former colleague Don Farout had invented. The team's two losses came at the hands of two ranked period powerhouses, Duke and North Carolina. Maryland's star running back, Lu Gambino, scored three touchdowns against West Virginia to lead the team to their first victory in the third meeting of the series. The Terrapins' regular-season play earned them a berth in their first postseason game.

Maryland met Georgia in the 1948 Gator Bowl. The Terrapins scored first when Gambino broke a 35-yard run for a touchdown in the second quarter. On the first series of the second half, Georgia quarterback John Rauch led an 87-yard drive capped by a one-yard dive into the end zone. Maryland responded with an 80-yard drive for another score by Gambino. Georgia turned the ball over with a fumble on its own 40-yard line and Maryland capitalized with a 24-yard touchdown pass to Gambino. In the final quarter, Georgia came from behind with a one-yard touchdown rush by Joe Geri and a nine-yard touchdown pass to John Donaldson. Georgia missed the extra point and the final result was a 20–20 tie. Gambino recorded all three Maryland touchdowns and 165 rushing yards, which set a school bowl-game record that stood for 60 years until broken by Da'Rel Scott in the 2008 Humanitarian Bowl.

Gambino finished the year as the NCAA scoring leader with 96 points. He was inducted into the Gator Bowl Hall of Fame in 1992 for his achievement as the bowl game's "first superb running back." Lu Gambino received All-Southern Conference honors.

The 1948 season saw Maryland slide to a 6–4 record, but they delivered four shutouts and lost two of their games by a combined three points. Two of their four losses came against ranked conference opponents, and a third was a 34-point shutout at the hands of Vanderbilt. Future two-time Heisman runner-up Charlie Justice helped North Carolina to a 29-point romp over the Terrapins.

Maryland improved to 9–1 in 1949 to earn their second bowl appearance. Their lone loss came against a ranked Michigan State team and Maryland allowed no opponent to score more than 14 points. They recorded victories over two ranked teams: Boston U. and Missouri under Tatum's former boss, Don Faurot. Maryland finished the regular season with a final AP ranking of 14th. The Terrapins again traveled to the Gator Bowl for their finale, and they defeated 20th-ranked Missouri. Ray Krouse was named All-Southern Conference and an AP second-team All-American.

The Terrapins started off as the 15th-ranked team in the preseason AP Poll. At Georgia, Maryland lost its season-opener, 7–27. Tatum said, "We weren't ready for Georgia in a game as early as September 23... We weren't in shape and the [] heat killed us." The loss, however, did not affect Maryland's poll ranking as the situation surrounding the game was generally understood.

In Week 2, the Terrapins played the inaugural game at the newly completed Byrd Stadium. It was the first game against the Naval Academy in 16 years. The series had been canceled in 1934 after Maryland accused Navy of an illegal game-winning play. In 1950, Maryland agreed to fill a vacancy in the Navy schedule left open by a Georgetown cancellation. The high-scoring game was the 12th meeting of the intense in-state rivalry and resulted in just the second-ever Maryland win.

After upsetting second-ranked Michigan State, 34–7, Maryland climbed to an AP Poll ranking of eighth in the nation and then defeated Georgetown. The following game they met N.C. State at Byrd Stadium for Homecoming weekend. In the first quarter, a Maryland fumble rolled out of the end zone for a safety, and soon after, another fumble set up a touchdown rush by NC State. Maryland advanced inside the N.C. State five-yard line three times but was unable to score. In the third quarter, NC State scored again to expand their lead, 0–16. Maryland scored on a 21-yard pass from Jack Scarbath to Bob Shemonski. With three minutes remaining, Shemonski connected with a pass to Pete Augsburger for another touchdown. A 47-yard drive into Wolfpack territory ended with an interception in the end zone with seconds remaining. The loss effectively ended the Terrapins' hopes for a bowl game bid. The second loss dropped them out of the AP Poll for the remainder of the year.

Bob Ward was named a first-team All-American. Ward and Elmer Wingate were named All-Southern Conference.

Over the course of the season, Maryland outscored its opponents 381–74, accumulated three shutout wins, and held seven opponents to 7 points or less. It was Maryland's first 10-win season and remains the team's only perfect undefeated season in the modern era.

Maryland entered the season at number-16 on the AP and Coaches' polls, and remained ranked for the duration. A 40-point trouncing of conference foe George Washington in the season-opener propelled the Terrapins to a number-nine ranking in both polls. Other wins included games against Southeastern Conference powerhouses: a romp over Georgia and a shutout against LSU. Before the Georgia game, Tatum showed his team that Georgia had charged only $5 for tickets, instead of the usual $7.50 ($ instead of $, adjusted for inflation). Tatum said, "They don't think very much of you, do they?"

The Terrapins finished the regular season with a 9–0 record and the Southern Conference championship. They achieved a final ranking as the number-three team in the nation. They secured a berth in the Sugar Bowl to face the number-one team in the nation, undefeated Tennessee led by head coach "General" Robert Neyland.

"The Washington Post" called the 1952 Sugar Bowl the second "game of the century", with the first having been between the undefeated Army and Notre Dame teams in 1946. Maryland was viewed as an underdog against Tennessee, which included five All-Americans on its roster. The Volunteers were led by Heisman runner-up quarterback Hank Lauricella, and Neyland's offensive linemen were described as not large but "squatty" and "bruiser[s], not flashy, but slightly murderous." Neyland considered the split-T offense used by Tatum gimmicky and relied on the more traditional single-wing formation. For the game, Tatum himself abandoned the split-T in favor of a smashmouth strategy, which he hoped would catch Tennessee off-guard. Neyland's strategy focused heavily on punting the ball to pin the opponent in their own territory with a goal of creating turnovers, and Tatum likewise adopted it.

The game started with both teams exchanging several punts in the first quarter. Maryland gained good field position after Lauricella kicked a short punt. Running backs Ed Modzelewski and Ed Fullerton then led an 11-play, 56-yard rushing drive for a touchdown. On the kickoff, Bob Ward hit Lauricella and forced a fumble that Maryland recovered on Tennessee's 13-yard line. After four plays, Jack Scarbath pitched to Fullerton who then threw a six-yard forward pass to Bob Shemonski in the end zone and expanded the Maryland lead to 14–0. Scarbath then engineered a 48-yard drive and ran it in himself for the Terrapins' third touchdown within seven minutes. Late in the second quarter, Tennessee back Bert Rechichar caught a four-yard pass for a touchdown, but the extra point was no good. At the end of the first half, Maryland had stunned Tennessee by gaining a 21–6 lead. In the fourth quarter, Fullerton intercepted a pass and returned it 46 yards for a touchdown. In the final minutes, Tennessee's goal-line quarterback Herky Payne ran it in from the one-yard line. Maryland won the game with a final result of 28–13.

With the final polls already closed before the bowl season, Tennessee retained possession of the national championship. In following years, however, several selectors have named Maryland as the retroactive 1951 national champions: Jeff Sagarin, the College Football Researchers Association, DeVold System, Dunkel System, and National Championship Foundation.

Jim Tatum was named the Southern Conference Coach of the Year. Bob Ward received the Knute Rockne Award and was named the Southern Conference Player of the Year. Bob Ward was named a consensus first-team All-American and Dick Modzelewski and Ed Modzelewski were named second-team All-Americans. Ward and Ed Modzelewski were named All-Southern Conference.

Maryland was sanctioned for violating a Southern Conference rule, passed halfway through the 1951 season, that banned postseason play. The punishment, for participating in the Sugar Bowl, disallowed the Terrapins from playing any conference games during the 1952 season. This compelled Maryland to schedule all but three games on the road.

The AP preseason poll ranked Maryland second in the nation. The Terrapins recorded a 37-point shutout of 19th-ranked Georgia and defeated 20th-ranked Navy, 38–7. Maryland finished the season with a No. 13 final ranking. Their loss at Mississippi ended a 22-game winning streak for the Terrapins. Tatum blamed the Terrapins' late season slide to injuries suffered by star quarterback Scarbath and weariness from the grueling road schedule.

After the season, disaffection within the Southern Conference prompted seven former members, including Maryland, to form the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The schism was due in part to the ban on bowl participation, and the vast geographic dispersion of and disparity between the sizes of member schools. Clemson, another founding ACC member, had likewise been forced to play outside the Southern Conference in 1952.

Tatum considered resigning in order to enter business. University president Byrd, a staunch patron of football at the school, was preparing to campaign for governor, and Tatum feared his successor would significantly reduce the number of athletic scholarships available. He and Byrd, however, had also disagreed over the decision to participate in bowl games in violation of conference rules. Tatum was opposed to it, as it greatly increased the difficulty of scheduling and had caused the reduction in number of home games.

In 1952, Maryland quarterback Jack Scarbath was runner-up for the Heisman Trophy, which is awarded to college football's most outstanding player. Scarbath received 367 points, coming behind to Oklahoma running back Billy Vessels, who received 525 points. Scarbath also was named the Southern Conference Player of the Year. Dick Modzelewski was awarded the Outland Trophy and the Knute Rockne Award. Scarbath and Dick Modzelewski were also both named consensus first-team All-Americans. Tom Cosgrove was named a second-team All-American. Stan Jones and Scarbath were named All-Southern Conference. The Associated Press All-South team, which consisted of players from fifteen schools in the Southern U.S., included Scarbath, and honorable mentions end John Alderton, tackle Dick Modzelewski, and back Ed Fullerton.

During this season, Maryland outscored its opponents 298–38, accumulated six shutout wins, and allowed only one team, Georgia, to score more than 7 points. No ACC team scored more total points until 1967 and none has ever allowed fewer points in the regular season (31). Maryland ranked first nationally in terms of rushing defense (83.9 yards allowed per game) and scoring defense (3.1 points allowed per game). At the end of the regular season, the three wire services, the Associated Press, International News Service, and United Press, each named Maryland as the national championship team.

Maryland entered the season ranked ninth in the preseason AP Poll. In the season opener against Missouri, Chet Hanulak scored in the first two minutes of play on a 61-yard run. Maryland intercepted four passes while sacrificing three fumbles in the 20–7 win.

Against Washington and Lee, Hanulak made an interception and then on Maryland's possession rushed for a 12-yard touchdown. Ron Waller dropped a Generals' punt at mid-field, but recovered and returned it for a touchdown. After halftime, Tatum fielded third- and fourth-string players before the final results of 52–0.

At Clemson, quarterback Bernie Faloney returned the opening kick off 88 yards for a touchdown. In the second quarter, Clemson quarterback Don King was sacked by several Maryland defenders and suffered a game-ending knee injury. With 45 seconds left in the half, Dick Nolan scored on a 90-yard punt return. In the second half, Faloney connected with Nolan for a 65-yard touchdown pass. Clemson finished the game with two pass completions and suffered its first shutout at home in 11 years, 20–0.

Against Georgia, most critics thought Maryland faced its first true test. In the first quarter, the Terrapins took a quick 14–0 lead and held the Bulldogs to six offensive plays, two of which were punts. In the second quarter, Georgia quarterback Zeke Bratkowski led his team to two consecutive touchdown drives, and the score was 21–13 in favor of Maryland at halftime. Two minutes into the third quarter, Faloney intercepted a Bratkowski pass and returned it for a touchdown. Bratkowski was taken out of the game after numerous sacks by Stan Jones and Bob Morgan. The 40–13 final result would be the most points the Terrapins allowed during the entire season.

At North Carolina, the undefeated Terrapins met the undefeated Tar Heels. Two 15-yard penalties against North Carolina set up a quarterback sneak by Faloney for a touchdown. In the second quarter, Bill Walker caught a pitch at the Maryland 35 and ran it 49 yards to the North Carolina 16-yard line. From there, Charlie Boxold scored another touchdown for the Terrapins. In the third quarter, Hanulak took a pitch and took it 34 yards into the end zone. The 26–0 win was the Maryland's first in Chapel Hill, North Carolina since 1924. Tatum later called it "the greatest win of any team I ever coached, including the [1952] Sugar Bowl [over national champion Tennessee]."

At Miami, Hanulak scored first on a two-yard rush. Morgan recovered a Miami fumble and on the ensuing possession Faloney scored on an eight-yard rush. By halftime, Maryland led 27–0. Tatum disallowed any passes or trick plays in the second half, and the final result was 30–0.

Maryland next traveled to South Carolina to face a team coming off of a four-game winning streak. Ralph Felton scored first to cap a long drive with a short rush. In the next series, the Gamecocks punted it away and the ball was returned by Hanulak 35 yards for a touchdown. In the second quarter, South Carolina recovered a Maryland fumble on the Terrapins' 14-yard line. In three plays, Maryland had pushed them back to the 32-yard line before South Carolina finally scored. With South Carolina held to 37 rushing yards the final result was 24–6.

After defeating George Washington 27–6, the Terrapins went on to shut out two ranked teams: 11th-ranked Mississippi and 11th-ranked Alabama. Maryland secured a share of the ACC championship alongside Duke and a berth in the Orange Bowl as the only undefeated and untied team in the nation. Maryland finished the regular season 10–0 and were crowned the national champions.

In Miami, first-ranked Maryland faced the team Tatum had coached prior to his arrival at College Park: fourth-ranked Oklahoma under former assistant Bud Wilkinson. The Sooners handed Maryland their only defeat, 0–7, but—as had happened in 1951 to the Terrapins' detriment—the final rankings were released before the bowls, and for the third time in four years, AP's national champion was defeated in their postseason game. However, unlike Tennessee, who retained their top-rank despite losing to Maryland in 1951, the Terrapins (10–1–0) did indeed finish with the best record, better than the Orange Bowl victor, Oklahoma (9–1–1). Maryland ranked first nationally in terms of rushing defense (83.9 yards allowed per game) and scoring defense (3.1 points allowed per game). At the same time, the Terps scored a record combined total of 298 points, a number not exceeded until 1967.

Like the year prior, in 1953, a Maryland quarterback, Bernie Faloney, was in contention for the Heisman Trophy. Faloney finished fourth in the running and received 258 points, behind Notre Dame's John Lattner (1,850), Minnesota's Paul Giel (1,794), and UCLA's Paul Cameron (444). Stan Jones was selected as a consensus first-team All-American. Bernie Faloney was also named a first-team All-American. Chet Hanulak was named a second-team All-American. Four Terrapins were named to the All-ACC first-team: John Bowersox, Bernie Faloney, Chester Hanulak, and Stan Jones. Three were named to the All-ACC second-team: Ralph Felton, Bob Morgan, and Bill Walker.

On Thanksgiving Day, Tatum coached Maryland to a pummeling, 74–13, of his former boss Don Faurot's Missouri, and the Terrapins set an ACC record-high for scoring that stood for 27 years. Maryland finished the season with a 7–2–1 record and was named the eighth-ranked team by AP. Bill Walker was selected by AP as a second-team All-American. Three Maryland players were named to the All-ACC first team: Dick Bielski, Bill Walker, and Ronnie Waller. Two were named to the All-ACC second team: John Irvine and Bob Pellegrini.

In Tatum's final season in College Park, Maryland spent four weeks as the first-ranked team in the AP Poll and ten weeks ranked in the top three. No opponent managed more than 13 points during the regular season. Maryland again had the first-ranked rushing defense in the nation, allowing 83.9 yards per game. Frank Tamburello became the starting quarterback, and entered the season with significant game experience from the prior year as a reserve behind Charlie Boxold. Fullback Tom Selep missed the season due to a knee injury.

The opener against Missouri was a much closer contest than the previous year's record-setting game. Ed Vereb rushed for a 14-yard touchdown and Tamburello passed for another, but only failed extra-point attempts by Missouri in the second half preserved victory, 13–12.

In week two, Maryland met first-ranked UCLA for the second half of a home-and-home series in a game dubbed "The Best of the East vs. the Best of the West." It was a rain-soaked defensive contest at Byrd Stadium, where Maryland held UCLA's rushing attack to −21 yards. UCLA quarterback Ronnie Knox completed 10 of 15 passes for 100 yards but also threw two interceptions. Late in the first quarter, Knox's passing brought the Bruins to the Maryland three-yard line. On the next play, UCLA advanced to the one-foot line before Bob Pellegrini tackled second-string fullback Doug Peters to force a fumble. Maryland made the only score when, in the third quarter, quarterback Frank Tamburello executed an option run and pitched to halfback Ed Vereb, who ran it 15 yards into the end zone. With the victory, the Terrapins became the first-ranked team.

The following week, Maryland beat 20th-ranked Baylor, 20–6, with Tamburello passing for two touchdowns. Maryland then defeated Wake Forest, 28–7, and held them to nine rushing yards. Against North Carolina, they allowed 18 yards on the ground. Vereb scored three touchdowns and made an interception, but the Tar Heels scored under unusual circumstances when center Jim Jones stripped Tamburello and returned it 35 yards. The final result was 25–7.

Syracuse scored the most points of any regular season opponent with touchdowns by Jim Brown and Don Althouse, but Maryland's offense scored a season high and won, 34–13. The Terrapins shutout a mediocre South Carolina, 27–0, and Louisiana State, 13–0, against whom they made four interceptions including one in the end zone by Phil Perlo. Clemson took the lead early with a Don King touchdown pass to Dalton Rivers and Joel Wells breaking away for another score soon after. Maryland's reserve quarterback, Lynn Beightol, threw to Ed Vereb for two touchdowns, and in the second half, Clemson was allowed only 22 yards. Maryland won, 25–12. Maryland posted a fourth shutout against, 19–0. Vereb scored two touchdowns, which tied Lu Gambino's single-season school record of 16.

The Terrapins, with a perfect ACC record, were named conference co-champions alongside Duke for the second consecutive year. Maryland possessed a perfect regular season record and ranked third in the nation behind Michigan State (8–1). The Terps secured an Orange Bowl rematch against first-ranked Oklahoma and a chance to avenge their defeat in 1953. However, the Sooners beat them again, 20–6, and they finished the postseason with a 10–1 record.

Bob Pellegrini was named a consensus first-team All-American, the National Lineman of the Year, and the ACC Player of the Year. Mike Sandusky was also named a first-team All-American. Ed Vereb and Bill Walker were named second-team All-Americans. Four Maryland players were named to the All-ACC first-team: Jack Davis, Bob Pellegrini, Mike Sandusky, and Ed Vereb. Three were named to the All-ACC second-team: Russell Dennis, Frank Tamburello, and Bill Walker.

In 1954, Curley Byrd resigned as university president in order to enter state politics, and was replaced by Dr. Wilson Elkins, a Rhodes scholar and former Texas quarterback. Elkins worked to improve academic standards at the school, which had been criticized for overemphasizing football. One year during Tatum's tenure, the school awarded 93 football scholarships averaging $944 each ($ adjusted for inflation). "The Diamondback" student newspaper said that, while Tatum was at Maryland, it "was an era in which an inadequate stadium became ultra-adequate, and an inadequate library became more inadequate."

During his tenure at Maryland, Tatum became one of the most successful head football coaches in school history. In nine seasons, he led the Terrapins to two national championships, three conference championships, and five bowl game appearances. His teams compiled a 73–15–4 record without a single losing season. To date, he remains the winningest Maryland football coach of the modern era with a winning percentage of 0.819.

After the 1955 season, Tatum took an 18% pay cut, from $18,500 to $15,000 (from $ to $ in inflation-adjusted terms), to return to North Carolina as head coach. There, "The Daily Tar Heel" student newspaper was displeased to see Tatum arrive and called him a "parasitic monster of open professionalism." After a few years, however, he was accepted by the student body, the faculty, and alumni. Tatum had said, "I'm going back to North Carolina to die," and the statement proved prescient. Just four years later, in 1959, he died of Rocky Mountain spotted fever at the age of 46.

Meanwhile, Tatum resigned to take the head coaching job at Maryland with a $12,000 salary, one-third more than he made at Oklahoma, ($, adjusted for inflation). Oklahoma filled the open coaching job with Tatum's former assistant, Bud Wilkinson.

Gambino finished the year as the NCAA scoring leader with 96 points. He was inducted into the Gator Bowl Hall of Fame in 1992 for his achievement as the bowl game's "first superb running back." Lu Gambino received All-Southern Conference honors.

The 1948 season saw Maryland slide to a 6–4 record, but they delivered four shutouts and lost two of their games by a combined three points. Two of their four losses came against ranked conference opponents, and a third was a 34-point shutout at the hands of Vanderbilt. Future two-time Heisman runner-up Charlie Justice helped North Carolina to a 29-point romp over the Terrapins.

The Terrapins started off as the 15th-ranked team in the preseason AP Poll. At Georgia, Maryland lost its season-opener, 7–27. Tatum said, "We weren't ready for Georgia in a game as early as September 23... We weren't in shape and the [] heat killed us." The loss, however, did not affect Maryland's poll ranking as the situation surrounding the game was generally understood.

Bob Ward was named a first-team All-American. Ward and Elmer Wingate were named All-Southern Conference.

Over the course of the season, Maryland outscored its opponents 381–74, accumulated three shutout wins, and held seven opponents to 7 points or less. It was Maryland's first 10-win season and remains the team's only perfect undefeated season in the modern era.

The Terrapins finished the regular season with a 9–0 record and the Southern Conference championship. They achieved a final ranking as the number-three team in the nation. They secured a berth in the Sugar Bowl to face the number-one team in the nation, undefeated Tennessee led by head coach "General" Robert Neyland.

With the final polls already closed before the bowl season, Tennessee retained possession of the national championship. In following years, however, several selectors have named Maryland as the retroactive 1951 national champions: Jeff Sagarin, the College Football Researchers Association, DeVold System, Dunkel System, and National Championship Foundation.

Jim Tatum was named the Southern Conference Coach of the Year. Bob Ward received the Knute Rockne Award and was named the Southern Conference Player of the Year. Bob Ward was named a consensus first-team All-American and Dick Modzelewski and Ed Modzelewski were named second-team All-Americans. Ward and Ed Modzelewski were named All-Southern Conference.

Maryland was sanctioned for violating a Southern Conference rule, passed halfway through the 1951 season, that banned postseason play. The punishment, for participating in the Sugar Bowl, disallowed the Terrapins from playing any conference games during the 1952 season. This compelled Maryland to schedule all but three games on the road.

After the season, disaffection within the Southern Conference prompted seven former members, including Maryland, to form the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The schism was due in part to the ban on bowl participation, and the vast geographic dispersion of and disparity between the sizes of member schools. Clemson, another founding ACC member, had likewise been forced to play outside the Southern Conference in 1952.

Maryland entered the season ranked ninth in the preseason AP Poll. In the season opener against Missouri, Chet Hanulak scored in the first two minutes of play on a 61-yard run. Maryland intercepted four passes while sacrificing three fumbles in the 20–7 win.

Against Washington and Lee, Hanulak made an interception and then on Maryland's possession rushed for a 12-yard touchdown. Ron Waller dropped a Generals' punt at mid-field, but recovered and returned it for a touchdown. After halftime, Tatum fielded third- and fourth-string players before the final results of 52–0.

At Miami, Hanulak scored first on a two-yard rush. Morgan recovered a Miami fumble and on the ensuing possession Faloney scored on an eight-yard rush. By halftime, Maryland led 27–0. Tatum disallowed any passes or trick plays in the second half, and the final result was 30–0.

After defeating George Washington 27–6, the Terrapins went on to shut out two ranked teams: 11th-ranked Mississippi and 11th-ranked Alabama. Maryland secured a share of the ACC championship alongside Duke and a berth in the Orange Bowl as the only undefeated and untied team in the nation. Maryland finished the regular season 10–0 and were crowned the national champions.

The opener against Missouri was a much closer contest than the previous year's record-setting game. Ed Vereb rushed for a 14-yard touchdown and Tamburello passed for another, but only failed extra-point attempts by Missouri in the second half preserved victory, 13–12.

During his tenure at Maryland, Tatum became one of the most successful head football coaches in school history. In nine seasons, he led the Terrapins to two national championships, three conference championships, and five bowl game appearances. His teams compiled a 73–15–4 record without a single losing season. To date, he remains the winningest Maryland football coach of the modern era with a winning percentage of 0.819.