Natalie Cassidy shares seven-word comment as her explosive EastEnders exit teased

Natalie Cassidy volition beryllium leaving EastEnders successful the coming weeks amid the BBC soap opera's 40th day celebrations, which are expected to see a occurrence astatine the Queen Vic pub

Cast subordinate Natalie Cassidy has teased implicit EastEnders' 40th day up of her departure from the soap.

The long-running BBC amusement volition people the juncture aboriginal this period with the celebrations including a unrecorded episode successful 2 weeks. It's antecedently been teased that events successful it volition "change Walford and the lives of those who unrecorded successful it forever".

Last month, it was announced that Natalie, 41 - who plays Sonia Fowler - will beryllium leaving EastEnders successful the coming weeks. Her quality is said to have a "central role" successful the day and there's speculation that Sonia - who archetypal appeared successful 1993 - could beryllium killed off amid the occasion.

Ahead of the anniversary, a promotional photograph showing a fig of characters stood extracurricular the Queen Vic successful Albert Square has been released. Flames are seen wrong and extracurricular the pub, pursuing erstwhile reports that there volition beryllium a devastating fire successful upcoming scenes connected the show.

Sonia is among the much than 2 twelve characters successful the photo, with her stood beside her spouse Reiss Colwell (played by Jonny Freeman) and her sister Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer). Natalie shared the photograph connected her Instagram Story connected Saturday and teased successful a connection to fans successful the accompanying caption: "You batch are successful for a TREAT."

The promo photograph features a big of characters similar Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden), Denise Fox (Diane Parish) and Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) - each of whom are expected to person cardinal roles successful the anniversary. Others see Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp), Jack Branning (Scott Maslen), Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara) and Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner).

Announcing her departure, Natalie had said successful a statement: "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 [executive producer] 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."

Executive shaper Chris has teased that the histrion volition person a "central role" successful the anniversary. He said: "I won't beryllium revealing the [minute] details relating to her exit, but I tin accidental that she volition instrumentality a cardinal relation successful the 40th day storylines successful a week of genuinely unmissable play that volition alteration the lives of those successful Walford forever."

Some fans person expressed interest that Sonia could beryllium killed disconnected connected the show. One idiosyncratic wrote connected X: "What bash you deliberation her exit is going to be? I anticipation she doesn't die." Another said: "Hopefully she saves Bianca and gives commencement to a steadfast babe and they permission the Square together. Sonia can't die." A 3rd wrote: "Hoping [bosses] don't termination Sonia Fowler disconnected successful the Queen Vic explosion."

EastEnders continues Monday nighttime from 7.30pm connected BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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