The news that all Peaky Blinders fans were dreading has been confirmed

After much debate, it's now official.

Despite the fact that Peaky Blinders only ended in December, fans of Steven Knight's show are more anxious than Arthur at a boxing match to see the beloved show return. Granted, if you've still to catch up with the latest developments of the Shelby family, we urge you to do so. Again, look away now if you want to avoid spoilers.   With Tommy's attention now turned towards a possible alliance with Al Capone in the US, there's still plenty of business that needs to be attended to in Birmingham because the Peaky Blinders are now short of an ally in London. After Alfie Solomons betrayed Tommy's trust and allied himself with Luca Changretta, it's hard to feel sorry for 'The Wandering Jew' but throughout the show's history, Alfie has always been one of the most interesting, complex and hilarious characters in the show. Who else can deliver lines like "Right, well, you will have to add another ton onto your bill, for being a c***, mate, alright," or "I already know what you want. I just want you to tell me out loud so I can check how ridiculous it is'? Since that memorable showdown on Margate beach, plenty of Peaky Blinders fans have been hoping that Alfie's gunshot to the head wasn't fatal. We know, he got shot in the head people! Still though, such is the love for Tom Hardy's character that people are still hoping against hope. https://twitter.com/jimshelley17/status/943615199986245638 https://twitter.com/kayaMUFC/status/953711462291210245 https://twitter.com/kerr3105/status/949208686181969920 In terms of the storytelling, Alfie's death made perfect sense - don't forget that he was also diagnosed with cancer - but if some fans are looking for closure on the matter, Paul Anderson (Arthur) has provided it. During an interview with Digital Spy, the actor confirmed that Tom Hardy's character is definitely dead and that Hardy didn't want to leave the show - apparently, that there was "debate and discussion" about the plot.

"I didn't know that was coming. We were unsure... there was a whole thing about whether or not Alfie would live or die, or get shot or not. It was up for debate and discussion.  I know that Tom didn't want to go. So there was this whole thing."

While we're still grieving for Alfie, we need to know one thing. Who's going to take care of Cyril (Alfie's dog) now that his owner has passed away? Damn Tommy, he can be so cold at times. https://twitter.com/divinepigeon/status/951263897188687873