EastEnders star claims Biggie Smalls would still be alive if he'd met him like planned

EastEnders star Richard Blackwood has made the striking claim that if things had gone differently, rap icon Biggie Smalls might still be with us today. He had been poised to fly to London for an interview with the star on the very day of his demise.

On the day Biggie, whose real name was Christopher Wallace, passed away, he was scheduled to take a flight to Britain to be interviewed by the actor and presenter, who at the time was a host for MTV's Top Of The Pops.

However, Biggie missed his flight, opting to remain in Los Angeles, California.

Few could have foreseen the tragedy that unfolded mere hours later. On 9th March 1977, Biggie was fatally shot in a drive-by incident.

A gunman emerged and struck him with four shots. He was urgently taken to the hospital for emergency surgery, but sadly, Biggie died at the tender age of just 24, reports the Mirror.

Speaking on the Winners Talking podcast, Richard mused over the idea that Biggie's decision not to head for London could have potentially altered his destiny.

Reflecting on the circumstances, Richard recounted: "Back then, he was supposed to fly to the UK to do an interview that was with me."

He continued: "So literally, like, he was supposed to fly to the UK to just do an interview with me. It was supposed to be in Yo! Sushi in Dean Street in the West End."

The shock of Biggie's death hit him hard as Richard remembered arriving at work to the unbelievable news: "I got to work... this is before the internet. I got to work and they said, 'Oh, he's dead'. And I said, 'Don't be stupid, that's not even a funny joke'. They said, 'No, he died a few hours ago'."

Struggling to accept it, he explained: "I'm like, 'Stop it' and they go, 'No, no no. We've got to do a new show. He's dead. He got shot'."

In 2009, cinemas worldwide featured the film 'Notorious', chronicling Biggie's journey from aspiring rapper to his tragic end.

During a candid podcast interview, Richard shared the emotional impact the movie had on him, revealing: "I watched that movie and there's a scene in the car where Faith Evans is saying to him, 'Aren't you supposed to be in London now?'".

He reflected on a specific moment: "Every time I see that scene my heart goes [sinking gesture] because he was specifically coming for my interview. And he just chose to miss the flight and he died."

Richard speculated on the ripple effects of personal decisions, stating: "I say that to say, that these things are normal to me. If he had seen me, he would probably still be alive to this day."

With a sense of historical connection, he acknowledged: "I'm a part of that history, as distant as it is. I'm a part of that. Do you understand what I'm saying?".

He expressed familiarity with such scenarios, concluding: "To me it's the norm because, 'Yeah, B.I.G knew who I was because he was coming to see me'."