EastEnders stars react to show legend's shock exit announcement

Co-stars person reacted connected societal media pursuing the announcement that EastEnders instrumentality favourite Natalie Cassidy is leaving the soap aft much than 3 decades for pastures new

It has left soap fans reeling - and present the formed of EastEnders person responded to the quality that Natalie Cassidy - aka Sonia Fowler - saying goodbye to Albert Square, aft a whopping 32 years since her archetypal quality connected the BBC show.

And a big of formed members person responded to Natalie's announcement, which was made connected EastEnders' authoritative Instagram account, to stock their champion wishes for the histrion connected societal media. Kellie Bright, who plays Linda Carter, wrote, "EE won't beryllium the aforesaid without you my friend," portion Tony Clay (Callum Highway) called her an "icon", and Clair Norris (Bernie Taylor) wrote, "My mentor!! What a lady." Milly Zero (Dotty Cotton) said, "Congratulations connected creating an icon & your [sic] gonna smash it retired there".

California-based star Patsy Palmer, meanwhile, Natalie's on-screen sister Bianca Jackson, shared the large announcement connected her Instagram Stories, penning simply: "Love you sister." New mum Lacey Turner (Stacey Slater) said successful her Stories, "Legend connected and disconnected the tele. Love you," portion Zaraah Abrahams (Chelsea Fox) said, "Nat, my beauteous friend" successful her ain societal media post.

Jacqueline Jossa (Lauren Branning), who rejoined the soap connected New Year's Day 2024 aft a five-year break, besides shared a saccharine tribute to her person and co-star, writing: "It breaks my bosom arsenic a monolithic instrumentality of the show, but I can't hold to proceed to ticker you smash it my love. Always been an inspiration to me, truthful fortunate to person worked with you and person you arsenic a relative connected the champion quadrate around! Love you loads it feels existent now."

Announcing her departure, mum-of-two Natalie, 41, said: "I consciousness highly bittersweet to beryllium penning this, but besides precise excited. 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. Thank you to Chris Clenshaw for the accidental to beryllium specified a large portion of the 40th day – it's an honour. See ya, Sonia, going but ne'er forgotten."

Involved successful immoderate of the much-loved soap's astir explosive storylines, Natalie is acceptable to movie her last EastEnders scenes successful February, coinciding with the soap’s much-anticipated 40th day celebrations. Recently, the histrion has launched not 1 but 2 podcasts - Life with Nat and Off the Telly, arsenic good arsenic filming an quality successful the upcoming 2nd play of BBC drama Boarders.

EastEnders is connected BBC One connected Mondays-Thursdays astatine 7.30pm. The amusement besides streams connected BBC iPlayer.

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