DUFF DUFF
All the signs Natalie Cassidy had quit EastEnders as she announces shock exit from iconic Sonia role after 32 years
Natalie's recent ventures have taken off leading to new opportunities
NATALIE Cassidy has shocked fans by quitting her iconic EastEnders role after 32 years.
But some think the soap star has been dropping subtle hints that she's been planning to step back from Walford for a while now, after The Sun revealed that the iconic character had quit.
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Bosses were last night keeping tight-lipped as to whether or not her much-loved character will be killed off, but confirmed that she will film her final scenes next month around the must-see 40th anniversary week.
An EastEnders source said: "The 40th week was always going to be shocking, but could they really kill off Sonia Fowler?
"Viewers have watched her grow up on screen and she’s been at the heart of some of the soap’s biggest storylines.
"It would be a proper soap shocker if she was to die during the 40th but equally it will be one that viewers will never ever forget."
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Natalie, who joined the BBC One soap back in 1993, aged just ten years, said: "I feel extremely sad to be writing this, but also very excited.
"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 Chris Clenshaw for the opportunity to be such a big part of the 40th anniversary – it’s an honour. See ya, Sonia, going but never forgotten.”
Natalie, who has played Sonia Fowler since 1993, has been at the centre of a gripping prison storyline for the last 12 months.
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However, the actress has not been on-screen for a number of those months, with Sonia being imprisoned for Reiss Colwell wife Debbie's murder.
OFF-SCREEN
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The TV favourite spent time off-screen as Sonia awaited trial.
Sonia only recently reappeared on again as the trial commenced earlier this month.
Sonia was falsely charged for Debbie Colwell's (Jenny Meier) murder - unaware her fiancé Reiss (Jonny Freeman) is the actual culprit.
Cash-strapped Reiss suffocated comatose Debbie, his own wife, in a bid to claim her life insurance.
Meanwhile, Sonia was found not guilty in court, much to the delight of her friends and family.
Not everyone is unaware about the extent of Reiss' actions.
Sonia's half-sister Bianca (Patsy Palmer) discovered the truth late last year.
EastEnders reveals outcome of Sonia Fowler's trial - but there's a dark twist
Since then, the accountant has kept Bianca locked up in a storage container - to keep her quiet.
Reiss promised to set Bianca free after she recorded a fake murder confession, but has since gone back on his word.
With Sonia being freed, viewers will be keen to see Reiss get his comeuppance after, but now think Sonia's exit could end in tragedy.
Either way her absence on the show was a big clue of things to come.
New TV projects
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Over the last few years, Natalie has been trying out various other roles, including an appearance on fictional crime show podcast Springleaf.
Natalie played the role of Janet in seven episodes from 2023 to 2024.
Bill Bailey, Katherine Ryan and Jo Brand were also featured on the series about Pat Springleaf, who is the undercover cop alter-ego of James Acaster.
Natalie also joined Motherland back in 2021, which was an early sign that the star was ready to take on new roles and diversify.
She played the character of Ms Vaughn on the School Trip episode.
The actress also popped up in series one of BBC comedy show Mandy in 2020, as Donna Bell.
While in recent years, Natalie has landed a guest panelist role on ITV's Loose Women and has been making more regular appearances on the chat show, hinting at other opportunities she has lined up.
Last July, news broke that she would be taking a break from the soap to team up with Channel 4 to front a brand-new programme called What's The Big Deal?
The new lifestyle show comes off the back of Channel 4's popular Air Fryer programme which investigated Britain's latest craze.
She said of the new project: “I am looking forward to getting to ask the questions we all want to know about must-have products.
“Like all of us, I love to try the latest things but as a busy mum what I really want to know is what lives up to the claims and what is the best deal?”
While Natalie has her hands full this year.
The actress and Alan Cumming will join the second series of Boarders, airing later this year on BBC.
Are you Bush on The Masked Singer?
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Over the last couple of weeks, fans of The Masked Singer have thrown Natalie's name in the hat when it comes to guessing who Bush is.
But some fans thought comedian Morgana Robinson was hiding behind the mask - but doing a brilliant Natalie impression.
One wrote: "Bush does sound like Natalie Cassidy but would love it to be Morgana Robinson doing her Natalie Cassidy impression."
Another said: "I was thinking Natalie Cassidy but then I remember Morgana doing a brilliant Natalie impression on her show..."
Someone else commented: "Bush is probably Morgana Robinson doing a Sonia impression."
Natalie recently opened up about her reaction to Morgana's hilarious impression of her.
During an episode of her podcast, co-host Joanna Page asked: "What was that like? You know when she did that. Was it just mental?
"To be that well known that someone does an impression of your character and you, it’s just insane."
Natalie replied: "It is a complete honour.
"Because I do think once that happens to you, you think 'I am famous actually'.
"Which I don’t really care about, but you go 'That makes you a bit famous, that'."
But fans blasted Masked Singer panellists Jonathan Ross, Davina McCall, Maya Jama and Mo Gilligan for "pretending" not to know Bush is "obviously" Natalie.
Someone wrote: "Everyone in the UK knows that Bush is Natalie Cassidy, except these judges apparently."
And another said: "How do they not hear that it's Natalie Cassidy?! Especially now with the Dean clue ..Dean Gaffney, come on people! #MaskedSingerUK."
If Natalie is really hiding behind the mask, then her recent break from EastEnders would make a lot of sense.
Podcast goals
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Natalie's podcast Life with Nat has gone from strength-to-strength since it first aired in April 2024.
The new move may have signalled another hint to her taking a step back from Albert Square.
The star often shares her life experiences with fans, from her career to family life and health.
Natalie recently hit back at online criticism after being gifted clothes despite being a millionaire.
She addressed the issue during a September episode of her 'Life with Nat' podcast, where she discussed fashion.
She applauded Tesco for its "lovely bits" and gave a shoutout to River Island for its latest collection, which she said is perfect for the festive season.
Natalie revealed: "Leather jacket out of there is lovely. They've treated me to a couple of bits. They've been really kind.
"I went in-store because I'm doing this documentary, and Madeline who works there has been so kind."
However, after showcasing her new items on Instagram, she received backlash from followers who criticised her for accepting freebies despite her wealth.
Natalie explained: "From people saying, 'Oh brilliant. Someone who earns loads of money getting free clothes'.
"So what I would say to that, and I understand that comment, is it's because I'm doing a television programme."
Despite some tiny criticism, Natalie's podcast has been a hit with fans.
She also enjoyed radio success with Gavin and Stacy's Joanna Page on their Off The Telly podcast on BBC Sounds.
Mum life
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The Walford favourite has always kept fans updated on her family life and often shared daily updated on her parenting.
Natalie is a mum of two daughters, Eliza and Joanie.
She has also spoken about her fiancé Marc and the sweet way they first met, who works a cameraman on EastEnders.
The mum-of-two shared sweet family snap in December as they celebrated the festive season.
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Natalie regularly keeps fans updated on being a mum two teen girls and how busy her life can be.
So it's no surprise that Natalie is ready to leave the chaos of Walford behind her.
EastEnders' 40th anniversary cameos so far
With the 40th anniversary of EastEnders coming up, fans are looking forward to some more incredible cameos from iconic faces of Walford's past. But who have we had so far?
Tracy-Ann Oberman - Oberman returned as Chrissie Watts, a character she last played nearly two decades ago.
Paul Bradley - Bradley returned as Nigel Bates, a character he last played over 25 years ago.
Micheal French - French returned as David Wicks, a character he last played two decades ago.
Patsy Palmer - Palmer returned as Bianca Jackson, a character she last played in 2019.
Coming up this year...
Ross Kemp - Kemp will reprise his role as Grant Mitchell, a character he first played in 1990. The BBC has described Kemp's storyline as "explosive". Kemp said it was an "absolute honour" to return to the show.
Other aspects of the 40th anniversary celebration include: A wedding between fan favorites, A huge explosion at the Queen Vic, and A live interactive episode.
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