Natalie Cassidy, now 41, has played the EastEnders’ character Sonia Fowler on and off since she was 10 years old. The actress has been in her fair share of dramatic storylines over the past 32 years, including ones about feuds, deaths, teenage pregnancy and cancer.
The 40th anniversary is looming, and there are bound to be some explosive stories unravelling over 2025, but the soap icon has confirmed she’s quit the BBC One programme in an ambiguous statement. However, it looks like Natalie’s legendary character could go out of the soap with a bang, with the star set to be filming her final scenes in February.
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BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)At present, Sonia is pregnant with killer Reiss Colwell’s unborn baby, unaware he was the one who killed off his ex-wife. Unfortunately, Sonia was charged with the grizzly crime, but a jury found her not guilty of murder after Reiss produced a clip of her sister Bianca confessing to the murder.
While announcing her departure from the long-running soap, Natalie was cryptic about what’s in store for her when filming wraps, simply saying she was off to 'pastures new'.
She said: "After another 11 solid years back on The Square, I have decided it’s time to move on to pastures new. EastEnders is in my bones so I will never forget where I started my career and I will continue to love the show.
“Thank you to Chris Clenshaw for the opportunity to be such a big part of the 40th anniversary – it’s an honour.” She affectionately added: "See ya, Sonia, going but never forgotten."
Natalie’s final scenes will air around the highly-anticipated 40th anniversary week. However, her plans to leave the show look as though they have been in the pipeline for a while, as she reportedly told bosses of her decision to leave last summer.
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BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)Rumours that Sonia will get killed off are rife, with a source telling The Sun: "It would be a proper soap shocker if she was to die during the 40th, but equally, it will be one that viewers will never ever forget.
"Bosses have pulled out all the stops to make the soap's big 40th the most dramatic and unforgettable week in the history of EastEnders."
So what’s next for Natalie? While she’s been part of the soap for such a long time, she’s also starred in other TV shows, and released various fitness videos over the years. The actress, who has been on shows such as Motherland, currently has her own podcast called Life With Nat.
She is also a busy mum-of-two and has been in a relationship with BBC cameraman Marc Humphreys since 2014. While they have been engaged for a while, the lovers haven’t planned their wedding day, with Natalie recently addressing what has been holding her back on a podcast.
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WireImage)Speaking on the Memory Lane podcast to Jen Brister and Kerry Godliman, Natalie stated: "Do you know what? It's a lot of money. No, I tell you what it is; it's time and budget. It is because I go, 'I'll only do something small; I don't need to...'"
"I will do it small, but I want to be at The Ledbury. Oh, I want a Michelin star meal or I'm just a bit of a snob genuinely. I'll want the best flowers, and I will want a designer suit," Natalie explained.
Last year, the star opened up to OK! Magazine about experiencing "mum guilt" while juggling her career with raising her daughters, Eliza and Joanie. Like all mums, she knows that balancing work and childcare can be challenging.
"I get mum guilt all the time 100 per cent," she admits. "And I think that's why we need to talk about it more. I don't think you understand until you have children. People saying, 'Don't have children if you want a career' is ridiculous. It's an ignorant thing to say.
"We're not living in the 1950s, Dad doesn't go to work while Mum stays at home. But we don't have the infrastructure to support families who need to work. The childcare right now just doesn't work. So all of that needs to be looked at and changed."
EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays on BBC One and BBC iPlayer at 7.30pm.
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