Natalie Cassidy has opened up about her emotional departure from EastEnders and Sonia Fowler’s impactful final scenes that aired on Thursday evening. After an incredible 32-year journey on the soap, Natalie alongside her character, left the Square with on-screen daughter Bex Fowler (Jasmine Armfield) and sister Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer), as they embarked on an exciting new chapter in Bali.
She took to the official EastEnders Instagram with a heartfelt behind-the-scenes video post-script of last night’s episode, expressing her feelings. Amidst the mixed emotions, Natalie revealed: “So the day and time has come for Sonia to leave the Square. It’s all a bit last minute, it’s all a bit of a rush but it’s time for a new adventure.”
Patsy Palmer, who was also filming her exit, shared her sentiment towards Natalie saying: “To be leaving with her [Natalie Cassidy] on her storyline is absolutely amazing. It just feels really special and lovely.”
The emotional farewells didn’t stop there; after executive producer Chris Clenshaw’s speech, Natalie spoke to her fellow cast members: “You know how much I love you all, I’m really going to miss you all, and I really don’t like speeches so thank you.”
And giving fans a glimmer of hope, Natalie hinted at Sonia’s potential return in the future: “Thank you for watching Sonia, I love her with all my heart and you never know what’s going to happen”, reports the Mirror.
Natalie also reassured viewers that she’ll continue to be a dedicated EastEnders fan, labelling herself as “the show’s biggest fan”.
Viewers were overjoyed to see Sonia and Bianca head off into the sunset, but not before a few unexpected twists. In a surprise move, Sonia visited Rocky Cotton in prison, the man she once believed to be her father, marking the return of Brian Conley, who had left the show in 2023.
At the time of his exit, the actor reflected on his character’s colourful past, writing on social media: “Well Rocky, you pretended to be Sonia’s Dad, Had two heart attacks, Married Kathy Beale, Met the King of England, Your best mate’s with Harry Redknapp, You blew up the café, and had a pet parrot called Jasper. Gonna miss you, you old rascal. X.”
However, what really tugged at the heartstrings was the return of a “familiar voice” – the late Dot Cotton, whose voice was heard onscreen for the first time in a long while, leaving fans tearful. Dot’s passing was a poignant storyline in 2022, following the real-life passing of the iconic actress June Brown, who had played the role for many years.