2 February 2025
Natalie Cassidy quit 'EastEnders' because it is "time to be brave".
Natalie Cassidy reveals real reason she quit EastEnders
The 41-year-old actress, who has played Sonia Fowler on and off on the BBC soap for almost 32 years has decided to bow out next month amid the soap's 40th anniversary celebrations and said she is leaving to try new things.
She told The Sun on Sunday: "I'm 42 this year. I just feel like it's time to be brave. You don't want to get to 70 and think, 'I never tried that'.
"I've loved the programme with all my heart. I started at 10, it's in my bones, it's in my heart."
Natalie made the decision to leave after talks with soap boss Chris Clenshaw during the summer.
She said: "I'd been thinking about it for a little while. I had a wonderful chat with Chris back in the summer. It's just exciting."
And, she is keeping fans guessing about the fate of Sonia.
She said: "I've got to remember in my head that when, as an actress, you make a decision to lave a show like this, you can't hypothesise or worry about what's going to happen to your character.
"This is down to the boss and the storyliners as the fate of Sonia is in their hands. I've had to take a deep breath, and go, 'I've made my decision, I've just got to let it play out'."
Natalie joined the soap in 1993 but left in 2007, before returning briefly in 2010 and 2011, and making a permanent move back to Albert Square in January 2014.
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