EastEnders legend Natalie Cassidy reveals real reason behind quitting soap
EASTENDERS’ Natalie Cassidy has spoken for the first time about her shock decision to quit the soap after 32 years, insisting: “It’s time to be brave.” The mum of two, who has played Sonia Fowler s…
EASTENDERS’ Natalie Cassidy has spoken for the first time about her shock decision to quit the soap after 32 years, insisting: “It’s time to be brave.”
The mum of two, who has played Sonia Fowler since she was ten, will leave as part of the BBC One show’s 40th anniversary — a decision she made in the summer.
3
Natalie Cassidy has spoken for the first time about her shock decision to quit the soap after 32 yearsCredit: Camera Press3
Natalie, who has played Sonia Fowler since she was ten, will leave as part of the BBC One show’s 40th anniversaryCredit: BBC3
Natalie with on-screen sister Bianca, played by Patsy PalmerCredit: BBCIn her first interview, exclusively with The Sun on Sunday, she said: “I’m 42 this year, I just feel like it’s time to be brave.
“You don’t want to get to 70 and think, ‘I never tried that’.
“I’ve loved this programme with all my heart. I started at ten, it’s in my bones, it’s in my heart.”
Natalie made the decision following a heart-to-heart with the soap’s top boss Chris Clenshaw six months ago.
Read More on TVShe said: “I’d been thinking about it for a little while. I had a wonderful chat with Chris back in the summer. It’s just exciting.”
Natalie will now film her final scenes later this month.
A week of anniversary episodes will see a huge explosion rip through the Queen Vic pub and rumours are rife that Natalie’s popular character could die in the blast.
But she’s staying tight-lipped about the fate of Sonia, who has recently been on trial wrongly accused of killing Debbie Colwell.
trotting on Cheryl Fergison flogs £15 tickets to see her perform at opening of Chinese
MAGIC MOMENTS Sonia Fowler's shocking EastEnders storylines from teen pregnancy to murder
sad story First look at April Windsor's harrowing story in special Emmerdale episode
NAT'S ENTERTAINMENT Real reason Natalie Cassidy's shock exit has left BBC bosses reeling
Natalie said: “I’ve got to remember in my head that when, as an actress, you make a decision to leave a show like this, you can’t hypothesise or worry about what’s going to happen to your character.
“That is down to the boss and the storyliners as the fate of Sonia is in their hands. I’ve had to take a deep breath, and go, ‘I’ve made my decision, I’ve just got to let it play out’.”
EastEnders' Natalie Cassidy reveals disgusting advice June Brown gave her for Sonia's iconic labour scenes on Bake Off Christmas SpecialNatalie arrived in Albert Square in 1993 as part of the rowdy Jackson clan, which included sister Bianca, played by Patsy Palmer; brother Robbie, portrayed by Dean Gaffney; and Lindsey Coulson as mum Carol.
She left in 2007, before returning briefly between 2010 and 2011, and again in 2014.
Her earliest memory is being given a new bomber jacket that she had to “dirty up” at school to look worn.
She said: “I was like, ‘I absolutely love Sonia, she’s going to be a real tearaway’, and it never turned out like that.”
The show’s biggest stars across the decades, including June Brown, Pam St Clement, Barbara Windsor, Wendy Richard, Letitia Dean and Natalie’s on-screen mum Lindsey, all took her under their wing.
But it was her friendships with legendary actresses June, who played Dot Cotton, and Wendy as Pauline Fowler, that led to nights out and holidays.
I think the show relies on strong matriarchal women and I think that’s how this show works
Natalie CassidyShe said: “I was going out with June, aged 18, having a glass of red wine with her in The Ivy when she was in her seventies.
“We went to Malta and we sat in a Jacuzzi together having a laugh. We stripped off!
“I used to go round to Wendy’s and we’d learn our lines in our pyjamas and have sleepovers! It was great. You made friendships that were just amazing.”
Natalie, who lives with her two daughters and cameraman fiancé Marc Humphreys, can’t remember a time in her life when fans didn’t say hello — even when she popped to the supermarket in her PJs.
She said: “The kids love it, it’s just part of my life. It’s not like it happened a couple of years in, so I’m very, very lucky that it’s been that way. I can’t remember not being recognised.
“The more local you get, they get used to seeing you. ‘Oh, it’s just Nat in her pyjamas again, running around getting her shopping’.”
Sonia, where’s your trumpet?
Natalie CassidyNatalie revealed she still loves it when people say, “Sonia, where’s your trumpet?” following a storyline involving her character learning to play the instrument in the Nineties.
She said: “I still get that, I still get it all the time.
“And do you know what? I get people saying, ‘Oh does that annoy you?’.
“How can it annoy me? It’s so wonderful to have an iconic moment. So no, I’m never annoyed when people say ‘Sonia, where’s your trumpet?’. I absolutely love it.”
Looking back on the last 32 years, and thinking about her stand-out storylines and plot twists, Natalie added: “It’s really funny, because there are obvious ones, like giving birth in my teens, or my boyfriend Jamie dying in hospital on Christmas Day, which were massive.
“But some of my favourites are filming a hen party round at Stacey Slater’s, where you’ve all got facemasks on, cucumbers on your eyes . . . all the women together.
READ MORE SUN STORIES“I think the show relies on strong matriarchal women and I think that’s how this show works.
“I’m proud of all of it.”
Dana White has poured doubts on Conor McGregor’s long-awaited UFC comeback fight. The former dual-weight UFC champion hasn’t competed in mixed martial arts since breaking his leg during…
Read more >> : Cick here
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
The Monkees' only theatrically-released movie, 'Head', was a middle finger to Hollywood from someone who changed movies.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
The best American martial-arts movies, ranked.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
The Masked Singer fans are convinced they've worked out who is behind the Bush costume - and it's an EastEnders star who recently announced they were quitting the soap
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
NFL fans have claimed this season’s playoffs were “rigged” for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
THE Vamps star has revealed he’s engaged to a US actress – just weeks after announcing they’re expecting the first child. Tristan Evans has gotten down on one knee and proposed to…
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon have been out promoting their latest movie - a wedding rom-com. But it appears the duo have lost a lot of love from fans over one Q&A session.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Book adaptations donâ??t need to be faithful.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
The first openly transgender Oscar nominee apologized after social media posts slamming a variety of groups were discovered online, the performer has since apologized.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
The final betting odds for tonight’s WWE Royal Rumble premium live event have been revealed which features four big matches.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Twitter (X), Inc. was an American social media company based in San Francisco, California, which operated and was named for its flagship social media network prior to its rebrand as X. In addition to Twitter, the company previously operated the Vine short video app and Periscope livestreaming service
Twitter (X) is one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 619 million monthly active users worldwide. One of the most exciting features of Twitter (X) is the ability to see what topics are trending in real-time. Twitter trends are a fascinating way to stay up to date on what people are talking about on the platform, and they can also be a valuable tool for businesses and individuals to stay relevant and informed. In this article, we will discuss Twitter (X) trends, how they work, and how you can use them to your advantage.
What are Twitter (X) Worldwide Trends?
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends are a list of topics that are currently being talked about on the platform and also world. The topics on this list change in real-time and are based on the volume of tweets using a particular hashtag or keyword. Twitter (X) Worldwide trends can be localized to a Worldwide country or region or can be global, depending on the topic's popularity.
How Do Twitter (X) Worldwide Trends Work?
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends are generated by an algorithm that analyzes the volume of tweets using a particular hashtag or keyword. When the algorithm detects a sudden increase in tweets using a specific hashtag or keyword, it considers that topic to be trending.
Once a topic is identified as trending, it is added to the list of Twitter (X) Worldwide trends. The topics on this list are ranked based on their popularity, with the most popular topics appearing at the top of the list.
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends can be filtered by location or category, allowing users to see what topics are trending in their area or in a particular industry. Additionally, users can click on a trending topic to see all of the tweets using that hashtag or keyword.