Natalie Cassidy reveals future on EastEnders after 30 years on soap – and makes bold pledge to fans
Natalie was close to Dot Cotton star June Brown, who died in April 2022 aged 95.
NATALIE Cassidy has revealed her future at EastEnders after 30 years on the soap – and made a bold pledge to fans.
The 40-year-old actress made her first appearance as Sonia Fowler in December 1993 when she was just 10.
She is now one of the show’s longest serving characters and Natalie has no plans to go anywhere any time soon.
In fact, the star wants to surpass the soap stints achieved by her late co-stars Wendy Richards and June Brown, who played Pauline Fowler and Dot Cotton respectively.
Natalie said: “I think it’s an honour to have been there for as long as I have, I was 10 when I joined.
“What I have which is nice is that Sonia isn’t sensational at all. She really is one of the most normal characters.
“She goes to work, she goes over to the GP‘s surgery, she works her nuts off, she goes home and she has her tea. I do think that people do like that sort of normal character.”
She continued: “She’s a bit like a pair of curtains, she’s the fabric of the show, you need the wallpaper that you know.
“If you turn it on you’ve grown up with Sonia. I think it’s possible that she could be there until she is very old.”
Natalie certainly had a good example for how to become a stalwart of the show in Dot actress June, who died in April 2022 aged 95.
June had been part of EastEnders for 1985 until 2020 with only a brief break in the mid-90s.
Speaking about her passing, Natalie told OK! Magazine: “It was very, very difficult for me, because obviously I’ve lost a dear friend as well as a colleague.
“She taught me a lot and we had a lot of laughs over the years.”
Natalie recalled holidaying with June and having her come and stay at her house.
She said: “When she was 82 years old she’d be partying in a nightclub, and she was just so amazing. We had the best time.”
Natalie has had a couple of breaks from the show over the years, but has been a regular cast member since her 2014 return.
Speaking about her future, she said: “I certainly wouldn’t do a different soap – that would be terrible, jumping ship after all this time! My loyalty is with EastEnders.
“But I had eight years off, so I’ve not been there for a full 30 years and there’s always room to have more time off in the future.”
