Natalie Cassidy, famous for her on-again-off-again role as trumpet-tooting teen mum Sonia Fowler in EastEnders, has spoken about the primary motivation that led her to participate in Celebrity Big Brother in 2012.
As she discussed the idea of developing her podcast, Life With Nat, into a profitable live show, she reflected on her reality TV past, confessing: “I was in dire straits financially, having a really bad time, and I did Big Brother.”
The “life-changing amount” of money on offer was significant enough for Natalie to briefly leave her then nine-month-old daughter Eliza, with the actress admitting: “I went in there, genuinely, for the money to get out again, quick as I can.”
(Image: PA)
She says she was delighted when she heard she was being evicted early, because it meant reuniting with Eliza. She does feel, however, that she brought a positive energy to the Big Brother house: “I went in there, and I just cooked, cleaned, did the tasks, had a bit of a laugh, came home.”
“I wasn’t in there for very long,” Natalie laughed, “It was brilliant. I got out early I think because I was a bit boring”, reports the Mirror.
Frankly, her “boring” demeanour appeared to be exactly what the eclectic group of celebrities needed, according to the soap star: “I went in, came out again, I left, pandemonium started. Nicola McLean and Denise Welch were at each other arguing. I was kind of the peacemaker.”
While she’s reticent to disclose the exact sum she earned during her 16-day run in the house, she says the windfall was substantial enough to cover a hefty tax bill she’d been saddled with.
Natalie Cassidy certainly earned her keep in the Big Brother house. Alongside her duties of cooking, cleaning and keeping the peace, she was given a special task by the show’s producers – winding up Hollywood actor Michael Madsen.
(Image: Channel 5)
She confesses: “I had the first task of chatting to people, riling everyone up.”
Equipped with an earpiece to receive instructions from the production team, Natalie was directed to approach the Reservoir Dogs star: “They made me go up to him, when I first met him and I said ‘Hi, give us a high-five. I’ve seen you in Free Willy.’ Apparently he was really, really annoyed if anyone recognised him from Free Willy. They made me do it first up.”
While Natalie mostly enjoyed her time on what she refers to as “a real-life soap opera” with a diverse cast that included two of Hugh Hefner’s “girlfriends,” Loose Women’s Denise Welch, and TOWIE’s Kirk Norcross, she admits her main goal was to be evicted as early as possible.
“I just wanted to get home to my baby,” she confesses.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
