EastEnders star Natalie Cassidy has made a candid admission after 32 years of on-off performing on the soap.

The actress, who is best known for her role as Sonia Fowler, spoke on her podcast Life with Nat about her final time on screen in Albert Square. Natalie, 41, has been one of the longest-serving EastEnders characters but has called it a day after three decades.

However, Natalie said she’s “never going to say goodbye” to her beloved character. In the podcast episode, which was recorded ahead of her exit last week, she said: “My last week I think is this week on the telly”, adding it will be “really nice” to wrap filming.”

Sonia bid farewell to Welford, alongside Natalie’s on-screen sister Bianca (played by Patsy Palmer) and daughters Bex (Jasmine Armfield) and baby Julia. But Natalie also opened up about a personal connection to Sonia that she had never realised she held.

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During the same podcast, she spoke about a link to Sonia’s baby Julia. She explained: “I had tea and a very long chat and breakfast with lovely Julia my friend, the other morning we were there for three hours.”

She described the meeting as a delightful experience, saying it was a “lovely sunny morning, coffees, breakfast, other coffees, soft drinks.”

Natalie continued: “I just didn’t even think – she said ‘I had all these messages saying ahh the baby’s after you’ – and I thought ‘Oh yeah’ Sonia had a baby called Julia and I never put the two and two together.”

Sonia Fowler actress Natalie Cassidy

Sonia Fowler actress Natalie Cassidy bowed out of EastEnders on Thursday night (Image: BBC/Eastenders)
Her friend Julia, who doesn’t watch EastEnders, was surprised by messages from fans drawing parallels between her name and the baby’s, reports Plymouth Live.

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However, the choice of the baby’s name on the show wasn’t a nod to Natalie’s friend but rather a homage to EastEnders’ original creator, Julia Smith. In a touching nod to EastEnders’ history, Sonia named her on-screen daughter Julia in February, following a public vote where viewers chose between Julia and Toni.

The alternative option paid homage to Tony Holland, the show’s co-creator alongside Julia. Julia was a producer and Tony Holland a script editor when they first met in 1971.

They collaborated on several projects, including the hospital drama Angels, before being tasked by the BBC in 1983 to create a London-based soap. This collaboration led to the birth of EastEnders two years later.

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The pair left the show after four years due to creative differences with BBC executives regarding the storyline of Den Watts. But EastEnders has frequently honoured its founders, with fans recognising the poignant ‘Julia’s Theme’.

This is a slower rendition of the show’s famous tune, named after Julia, who passed away from cancer in 1997. Tony Holland died in 2007.

Their legacy was also visually commemorated during the 2015 live week, with their names etched into a wall.

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