**EastEnders Star Natalie Cassidy Announces Departure After Over 30 Years**
Natalie Cassidy, known for her role as Sonia Fowler, has confirmed her departure from EastEnders after more than three decades. The 41-year-old actress has portrayed Sonia on and off since 1993 and announced her decision to leave Albert Square on Thursday. “I feel extremely sad to be writing this, but also very excited,” she stated. “After another 11 solid years back on the square, I have decided it’s time to move on to pastures new. EastEnders is in my bones, so I will never forget where I started my career and I will continue to love the show.”
Cassidy expressed her gratitude for being a significant part of the soap’s upcoming 40th anniversary special, adding, “See you, Sonia, going but never forgotten.” The BBC has confirmed that her final scenes will air during the week of the show’s 40th anniversary, starting on February 17. The specifics of her character’s exit remain undisclosed.
Currently, Sonia is pregnant with Reiss Colwell’s baby, unaware of his dark past involving the murder of his ex-wife, a crime for which Sonia was initially charged but later acquitted after evidence emerged implicating her half-sister, Bianca Jackson.
Throughout her time on the show, Sonia has faced numerous dramatic storylines, including bullying at school and a teenage pregnancy with Martin Fowler, whom she later married. Cassidy first left EastEnders in 2007, made a brief return from 2010 to 2011, and came back to Walford in 2014.
EastEnders executive producer Chris Clenshaw praised Cassidy as a “firm favourite amongst viewers,” highlighting her involvement in some of the show’s most iconic storylines. He noted that while the details of her exit remain under wraps, she will play a central role in the anniversary storylines, promising a week of unforgettable drama that will impact the lives of Walford residents.
In addition to her work on EastEnders, Cassidy participated in Celebrity Big Brother in 2012 and currently hosts the podcasts Life With Nat and Off The Telly.