‘Brave’ EastEnders legend Natalie Cassidy reveals why she’s quit Sonia role

Natalie Cassidy haș shed immoderate airy connected the crushed wherefore she decided to permission EastEnders aft 32 years successful the relation of Sonia Fowler.

It was confirmed past week that Natalie would beryllium leaving the BBC One soap, with her last scenes playing a pivotal relation successful the upcoming 40th anniversary.

‘I consciousness highly bittersweet to beryllium penning this, but besides precise excited,’ she said successful a connection astatine the time. 

‘After different 11 coagulated years backmost connected The Square, I person decided it’s clip to determination connected to pastures new. EastEnders is successful my bones truthful I volition ne'er hide wherever I started my vocation and I volition proceed to emotion the show.’

The soap prima received an outpouring of support from formed members and fans alike, with beauteous overmuch everyone bittersweet astatine the thought of saying goodbye to the legendary Sonia.

Natalie, 41, offered much penetration into her reasons for deciding to permission successful a caller interview.

‘I’m 42 this year, I conscionable consciousness similar it’s clip to beryllium brave,’ she told The Sun.

‘You don’t privation to get to 70 and think, ‘I ne'er tried that’.

‘I’ve loved this programme with each my heart. I started astatine ten, it’s successful my bones, it’s successful my heart.’

Sonia’s exit storyline is being kept nether wraps for the clip being, but with the character hellbent connected uncovering out wherever sister Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer) is, the walls could yet adjacent successful connected slayer Reiss Colwell (Jonny Freeman)?

Reiss, arsenic viewers know, killed woman Debbie, with Sonia subsequently jailed for the crime.

Sonia has nary thought that Reiss is the 1 responsible, with the evil accountant having pinned the blasted connected Bianca, who he is holding captive astatine a lock-up.

EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays astatine 7:30pm on BBC One oregon watercourse from 6am connected BBC iPlayer.  

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