EastEnders star Natalie Cassidy, who has been engaged to her fiancé Marc Humphreys for a decade, admits that her bustling acting career has left her with little time to plan their dream wedding.
The couple, who share daughters Joanie, eight, and Eliza, 14, reside in Hertfordshire, a stone’s throw away from the EastEnders studio where Natalie has portrayed Sonia Fowler since she was just 10 years old.
Now that she’s said goodbye to the role that catapulted her to fame, Natalie Cassidy is hoping to finally start thinking about wedding plans.
She quips, “That would be nice wouldn’t it? It’s a bit of a nightmare. We’re always busy and we always say yes to things, but it’d be nice to think about it.”
Despite being head over heels for Marc, who worked as a camera supervisor on the soap’s live 40th anniversary episode, Natalie confesses that she remains career-driven and would prioritise new work opportunities over wedding planning.
However, she adds, “It’s important. If you’re getting good opportunities you can’t turn them down, but I feel like you can just balance the diary a little bit more because EastEnders is such a huge machine you have to plan around.”
While viewers are still seeing Sonia on-screen arranging the funeral of her ex-husband Martin Fowler (played by James Bye), Natalie has already bid farewell to the set after an emotional leaving do.
“I’ve only been gone a few weeks so it feels a bit like I’m still on holiday but it’s just really nice,” shares Natalie. “It’s going to be a good change.”
Natalie Cassidy, who played Sonia Fowler on EastEnders, has shared her fond farewell moments as she departs the iconic soap. She recalls a touching leaving party where she received a unique gift from her colleagues: “I had a really nice leaving do,” Natalie reminisced.
“Everybody was there, all the crew, costume, make-up and friends that I’ve known for a very long time. We had a really nice evening and they gave me a lovely little necklace with a trumpet on.”
Not only did she leave with memories, but Natalie also took a physical piece of her time on the show: “I took the plaque off my dressing room door,” she revealed.
“It’s emotional because you miss the people but it’s time to have a change. I’m very glad I’ve made that decision and that they’ve left the door open for me.”
Having shown her comedic talent in shows like Mandy and Motherland, Natalie is eager to explore more humorous roles and has already secured one in the BBC Three series Boarders.
“I love comedy or even an old-fashioned kind of sitcom,” Natalie expressed. “Amandaland is out at the moment. I think they should bring back studio sitcoms, I just love a bit of comedy.”
Natalie also fantasises about teaming up with Patsy Palmer, her on-screen sister Bianca, for a travelogue, highlighting their close bond: “I always say that me and Patsy should do something because we are like real sisters,” Natalie mused. “So it would be great to do a travelogue with us travelling around together.”
EastEnders bosses certainly made the most of Natalie Cassidy’s talent before her departure from the soap, crafting some truly memorable scenes for her character Sonia in the 40th anniversary live episode.
The episode, which drew in a whopping 3.7 million viewers, saw a pregnant Sonia trapped in The Queen Vic following an explosion, leading to her giving birth on the pub floor.
“It was brilliant,” Natalie beams. “It was a real challenge being asked to give birth on-screen live but it was an honour. “We had the most incredible time because it changed into a different job.
Normally you’re churning out 16 scenes a day, bang, bang, bang, whereas with this we had 10 days to really concentrate on that one episode and rehearse it. It was a really lovely bubble to be in. It just felt like a really good time to say goodbye.”
Now, Natalie is bidding farewell to Sonia for good, embracing a new look with hair extensions, highlights and a manicure. “I’ve had some lovely extensions put in my hair, which I’ve not been able to do for a long time,” shares Natalie.
“I’ve got a little bit more length in it, and I’ve gone a bit lighter with a few red and blonde shades. It is very different to Sonia, and I’ve had my nails done. It feels lovely to be that little bit more me.”
While she’s bowed out from her role on-screen, Natalie Cassidy will be forever an EastEnders fan. “I’ll always miss Sonia, but I’m going to watch the show,” affirms Natalie.
“I’m a huge fan of the show itself. Me and my daughter Eliza love watching it. I’ll watch all my friends and keep in touch with everybody. And Sonia’s never too far away.”
Branching out into exciting new projects, Natalie is set to present Channel 4’s upcoming series, What’s The Big Deal: Britain’s Best Buys? where she’ll explore whether the UK’s buzzworthy products truly live up to their reputation.