EastEnders legend Natalie Cassidy has opened up about her family’s reaction to what she described as an “embarrassing appearance” on The Chase. The 41-yea- old actress, famed for her role as Sonia Fowler, admitted to being wracked with nerves during the initial quickfire round of the popular ITV quiz show.
She felt so self-conscious that she likened herself to “looking like a potato”. While speaking on the Monday Mile podcast with Olympian Aimee Fuller, Natalie shared her fondness for quiz shows, having previously been on The Weakest Link and Blankety Blank.
However, her stint on The Chase left her begging her family not to tune in. The mother of two said: “The Chase was one of the most embarrassing things I’ve ever done because that first round, you have to do a quickfire, and I genuinely looked like a potato. I was so nervous, I just stood, I looked like a lifeless potato.”
She continued: “I was so nervous, the light came down, my family ripped me apart when it came out. I was like please don’t watch it, it was so different from sitting in your lounge.”
Natalie’s episode aired in 2016, where she competed alongside Hairy Bikers’ Dave Myers, Olympian Amy Williams, and Westlife’s Nicky Byrne, reports the Manchester Evening News. They managed to build a prize fund of £10,000 before facing Mark “The Beast” Labbett in the final.
The soapstar at one point left host Bradley Walsh struggling to contain his laughter as The Chaser found himself at the end of a fiery comment from Natalie. The pair were facing the question “who was the last foreign-born American Secretary of State” at the time.
Natalie was over the moon when her guess, Madeleine Albrighton, turned out to be correct, while The Beast had incorrectly chosen Colin Powell. She couldn’t help but remark: “Sometimes you’ve got to guess, haven’t you? ” To which The Beast admitted: “Honestly, thought I knew that one…” only for Natalie to cheekily cut in with: “Well you didn’t, did you? ” She couldn’t resist teasing him further, saying: “Like a bulldog chewing a wasp that face. Look, he’s really upset.”
In the final round, Natalie and the late Dave Myers took on The Beast, who was aiming to correctly answer 13 questions. They managed one pushback, but The Beast caught up with them swiftly in just 56 seconds.
Speaking on the Monday Mile, Natalie revealed she also had an unfortunate experience on Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel. She added: “The Wheel, I never got picked, I was fuming, just sat there and didn’t do anything.”
Earlier in the year, Natalie announced her departure from EastEnders after a cumulative 22 years as Sonia, split across two periods. She shared her mixed emotions: “I feel extremely sad to be writing this, but also very excited.”
She continued: “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.”