Natalie Cassidy has revealed one EastEnders moment she is “very proud” of ahead of her exit from the hit BBC soap.
Natalie, 41, first started playing Sonia Fowler in 1993. She remained a mainstay of the soap until deciding to walk away in 2007.
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The soapstar eventually returned briefly between 2010 and 2011 before becoming a series regular in 2014, spending another 11 years on the show. However, last year Natalie revealed she would be walking away from Walford once more, ending a 30-year spell as Sonia.
Fans will watch on this week as Sonia hits breaking point after finding Mo (Laila Morse) and Kim (Tameka Empsom) giving true-crime tours in the area where killer Reiss Colwell ran amok. While Sonia initially blames sister Bianca, played by Patsy Palmer, the pair will repair their relationship at Harry’s Barn.
The famously hot-headed Bianca chases a man out of the barn, assuming he is another on-looker. This will prompt Sonia to make a life-changing decision as she quits Walford once more.
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Natalie’s Sonia Fowler is set to depart Walford(Image: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
Speaking to The Sun, Natalie is thrilled to have Pats’s Bianca involved in her final scenes. She said: “It’s a nice place to leave Sonia after so much has happened to her.
“That’s exactly what it can be like with sisters. You can be screaming at each other one minute and sharing a takeaway the next.”
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And while Natalie has spent three decades on EastEnders, there is always one moment that will live on in the minds of soap fans. The mum-of-two remains immensely proud about Sonia’s famous trumpet from the 1990s.
Natalie added: “It doesn’t matter what show I do, they always want to mention Sonia’s trumpet. It’s become an iconic 90s pop-culture thing, and I’m very proud of it!”
After quitting the soap, Natalie has announced she has written a book, Happy Days. It will feature the highs and lows of life as well as reflect on her own experiences as a mother.
Sonia Fowler ‘s trumpet become a pop-culture phenomenon of the 1990s(Image: BBC)
Natalie also announced she wanted to take on more presenting work and spend time with her young family. Speaking to Olympian Aimee Fuller on the Monday Mile podcast, Natalie said: “I love acting but I do really like just being myself, I think possibly more so than the acting I did Motherland a little while a go, which was fantastic, and I do love comedy so I would like to do more comedy at some point.”
Natalie, who has taken part in Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity Big Brother admits there is one TV show she would love to do. “I would love to do the Channel 4 game show Taskmaster,” Natalie said
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“I’d love to be a part of it! I keep dropping hints but it hasn’t happened yet. I so hope it does -it’s a fantastic programme and it’s huge on my bucket list!”
Announcing her decision to leave EastEnders in January, Natalie 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.”
