It’s been quite the week for Sonia, who met her long-lost father Terry Cant (Glen Davies) and bagged an invite to join him in Bali.

As she packed the house up, Sonia reminisced about her time in Walford and listened to a heartfelt recording from beloved step-grandmother Dot Branning (June Brown).

But Son’s half-sister Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer) had some information that would change everything.

Terry had physically attacked her the night before, and after seeing the evidence on Bianca’s arms, a furious Sonia confronted Terry.

He lied that he had been defending himself – leading Sonia to seek support from a familiar face.

At the prison, Tom ‘Rocky’ Cotton (Brian Conley) appeared in a delightfully unannounced cameo, and couldn’t help asking if the real Terry – who Rocky had once impersonated – was better-looking than him!

Terry speaking to Sonia and Bianca in front of his boat in EastEnders

Terry showed his true colours. BBC
Rocky helped Sonia see that she could leave for good, and she told him that he had been a father figure to her.

An emotional Rocky asked her to keep in touch, but typically, his final instruction was to “make sure you look after that parrot. He knows all my pin numbers!”

Back in the Square, there was a farewell party for Sonia at The Albert, and she told Bianca that she wouldn’t be leaving with Terry.

Terry turned on Bianca, and Sonia saw his true colours when he made a disparaging comment about their mum, Carol (Lindsey Coulson).

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Terry nastily insulted the family and fled, but later demanded his money back for the flights abroad.

He then claimed his own daughter should never have been born, at which point Bex Fowler (Jasmine Armfield) shoved Terry into a shed and locked him in!

Realising they had the printed Bali tickets in their possession, Bex and Sonia decided to fly there after all, and Bianca agreed to join them.

Taking their plan one step further, the trio took Terry’s car and boat, before Bianca asked George Knight (Colin Salmon) to release Terry – after a few hours to cool off first.

After a few words at Martin Fowler’s (James Bye) memorial, Sonia delivered the parting gift that cousin Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa) and Peter Beale (Thomas Law) could rent the house, playfully warning them that Dot would be watching.

With that, Sonia played her trumpet as she, baby Julia, Bex and Bianca departed for their big adventure.

It was a triumphant and touching exit for Sonia and star Cassidy, who told RadioTimes.com that her alter ego would always be a part of Albert Square.

Goodbye, Sonia!

Read more:

EastEnders airs menacing twist in Sonia Fowler exit story in iPlayer release
EastEnders’ Natalie Cassidy on Sonia’s emotional exit and final mystery twist
EastEnders’ Natalie Cassidy reveals secret of 40th anniversary live episode
EastEnders at 40: Best ever villains from Nick Cotton to Nish Panesar
EastEnders at 40: Best ever whodunnits – From who shot Phil to who killed Archie?
EastEnders cast: Who is joining, leaving and returning to the soap?
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One and from 6am on BBC iPlayer.

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