EastEnders legend Natalie Cassidy has revealed her frustration after her “favourite” moment was cut from her grand finale on the soap.
Natalie, aged 41, bid a tearful farewell to her role as Sonia Fowler which spanned an impressive three decades, in scenes that aired on April 17. The episode saw Sonia and her half-sister Bianca Jackson (played by Patsy Palmer) departing Walford aboard a speedboat.
Mum-of-two Natalie watched her final episode while on holiday in Cornwall with her family. However she found herself disappointed when a scene involving legendary character Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden).
On the Off The Telly podcast, Natalie expressed her disappointment: “I felt quite emotional but, do you know what? Maybe I’ve missed it because I wasn’t watching it properly, but I feel like they cut out the scene which was my favourite scene.
“It was Sonia and Phil [Mitchell] and me and Phil just having a moment in the Square. I didn’t see it.”
She added: “I’d be really cross because it was a really nice scene. Anyway, she left on a speedboat with her trumpet and I’ve had loads of DMs and messages and stuff just saying how people have shed a tear, but a happy tear.
“It was nice and joyful, it wasn’t sort of depressing, [she] didn’t leave in a black cab, it was just fun.”
Since leaving EastEnders, Natalie has hosted a consumer TV show, has announced she has written a book, and over Easter presented her first show on Virgin Radio. Joanna Page, co-host of Off The Telly, was curious about how Natalie found her first foray into radio, reports Plymouth Live.
The star responded: “It was really good. It was nerve-racking, but again, it’s just another thing to tick off the list. A little bucket list of firsts, but it was good.”
Natalie revealed her departure from the beloved soap earlier in January, expressing that she was “extremely sad” yet “very excited” about pursuing new ventures in her career.
She shared: “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 [executive producer] Chris Clenshaw for the opportunity to be such a big part of the 40th anniversary – it’s an honour. See you, Sonia, going but never forgotten.”
Natalie first graced the soap in 1993 and exited in 2007. She made a brief return from 2010 to 2011 and then rejoined the cast permanently in 2014.
