EastEnders icon Natalie Cassidy has announced she is leaving the soap after 29 years in the iconic role of Sonia Fowler – and she has shared a great deal of her life both on and off-screen
Soap legend Natalie Cassidy is set to bid farewell to the gritty streets of Albert Square, as she parts ways with BBC One’s EastEnders. The 41 year old star has been the heart of the show, playing Sonia Fowler ever since the Jackson clan landed in Walford back in 1993.
Natalie confirmed her departure with a heartfelt revelation: “After another 11 solid years back on the square, I have decided it’s time to move on to pastures new.”
Not one to forget her roots, Natalie spoke lovingly of her time on the soap: “EastEnders is in my bones so I will never forget where I started my career and I will continue to love the show.”
On her podcast, ‘Life with Nat’, which she co-hosts with her beau Marc Humphreys, Natalie opened up about leaving the show, sharing: “It’s nice to be able to say that I’m leaving, and I just think it’s really nice for people to know that I am going. (It will) be interesting to see what other work offers come in – none at all probably!”
She also mentioned feeling a sense of liberation now that she’s declared her exit, stating it felt like “a weight lifted off my shoulders”.
But make no mistake, Sonia isn’t disappearing just yet – she’s currently embroiled in a murderous plot line involving her partner Reiss Colwell, played by Jonny Freeman. Despite her impending exit, fans can still catch their girl in action, reports Plymouth Live.
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Beyond the confines of EastEnders, Natalie has basked in the limelight on some of Britain’s favourite telly, including stints on The Catherine Tate Show, Psychoville, Motherland, and recently showing face in the BBC drama Boarders.
However, it’s her time on EastEnders that has earned her the most acclaim, bagging her a British Soap Award twice, first in 2001 and then again in 2004. Besides her long-standing role on the soap, Natalie has also made a name for herself in theatre, with performances in productions like Bedroom Farce, Gertrude’s Secret and The Cherry Orchard.
Apart from her diverse acting roles, Natalie also appeared as a contestant on strictly-come-dancing>Strictly Come Dancing in 2009 and later finished eighth in Celebrity Big Brother three years later. EastEnders fans have seen Natalie mature right before their eyes.
It feels like just yesterday Sonia was stirring up trouble on the square as a teenager and longing for Jamie Mitchell (Jack Ryder), making her an absolute icon of British television.
Born in Islington, North London, on May 13, 1983, Natalie showed a knack for performing at a young age and chose to refine her skills at the Anna Scher Theatre.
Following this, Natalie made her professional acting debut at the tender age of 10, when she landed a coveted role in EastEnders as Sonia Jackson (later Fowler), which remains her most enduring and memorable performance on screen to date. But there’s more to Natalie than just her successful acting career.
Away from EastEnders, she leads a quiet life with her cameraman fiancé Marc and their two daughters, teenager Eliza, and Joanie, in Hertfordshire.
The smitten couple has been together since 2014, having met on the EastEnders set. They revealed their engagement in October 2015, and Natalie welcomed their baby girl in August 2016.
Despite keeping a low profile, Marc and Natalie occasionally treat fans to sweet snapshots together on social media. Natalie has hinted that they plan to wed soon, envisioning an intimate ceremony with close family in London, followed by a big celebration.
In a recent OK! Magazine interview, Natalie gushed about her Hertfordshire home, calling it her “happy place” and expressing pride in it. Reflecting on her soap role, she added: “It’s been nothing but an amazing joy.
“I just feel so grateful and lucky to have had that in my life. My character Sonia has had ups and downs, but the biggest thing I feel is that she’s become a bit of an icon.”
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
