Natalie won the hearts of the nation playing no-nonsense Sonia Fowler, but finally bowed out of EastEnders after 32 years – and has already teased fans about Sonia’s future
Natalie Cassidy has spoken out on leaving EastEnders after over three decades in Walford.
Soap legend Natalie, 41, officially bowed out of the BBC soap on Thursday (April 17) in emotional scenes that saw the return of her beloved dad Terry Cant. Natalie recently admitted that her memory was completely shot due to the role, but she was ready and willing to take on new projects – including her own radio show – now she’s out of Walford.
Fans were left in floods of tears as they bid farewell to one of the soap’s longest-serving characters on Thursday. In tear-jerking scenes, Sonia opted to ditch Walford after 32 years for the sunny sights of Bali, together with Bex Fowler – played by Jasmine Armfield – and Bianca Jackson, played by Patsy Palmer.
Sonia’s nearest and dearest gathered at the end of the episode to send the trio off into the sunset. Writers made sure to make their exit a happy one, with Sonia even going as far as to play the trumpet, a reference to her hilariously inept musical ability.
Natalie – who first joined the soap back in 1993 – took to social media to share how she really felt about saying goodbye to her EastEnders family. She also appeared to drop a hint on what Sonia’s future could be, and whether she may make a return to the East End soon.
Speaking in a video uploaded to the official EastEnders Instagram account, Natalie explained: “So the day and time has come for Sonia to leave the Square. It’s all a bit last minute, it’s all a bit of a rush but it’s time for a new adventure.”
Co-star and Celebrity Big Brother housemate Patsy admitted she was also emotional as she also bid the Square farewell. “To be leaving with her [Natalie Cassidy] on her storyline is absolutely amazing,” she beamed, “it just feels really special and lovely.”
With executive producer Chris Clenshaw giving a heartfelt speech, Natalie addressed her fellow cast members, and held back tears as she spoke. “You know how much I love you all, I’m really going to miss you all, and I really don’t like speeches so thank you,” she pined.
Addressing fans directly, she added: “Thank you for watching Sonia.” She then appeared to tease a potential return in the future: “I love her with all my heart and you never know what’s going to happen.”
While fans were devastated to see Natalie go, she reassured them that she would be watching the soap religiously, seeming as she is “the show’s biggest fan”. Before the trio jetted off to the tropical paradise, Sonia also paid a quick visit to see the man she thought was her dad, Ricky Cotton.
Being played by icon Brian Conley, the visit proved to be an unexpected turn, after Ricky ended up leaving the soap back in 2023. On top of this, treasured fave Dot Cotton somehow made a return to the soap, despite actress June Brown having passed away several years ago.
In the strange clip, Dot’s voice could be heard on-screen while Sonia reminisced about her 32 years on the Square. Dot herself had died off-screen following a heartbreaking storyline that dominated in 2022, with her co-stars gathering to pay tribute in scenes that left everyone in floods of tears.
EastEnders airs every weekday at 7:30pm on BBC One and the BBC iPlayer.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
