EastEnders icon Natalie Cassidy has shared the important advice she received from one of her co-stars from early in her career. Natalie joined the BBC soap in 1993, playing Sonia Fowler for more than 30 years.
Sonia exited Walford last year for Bali alongside her sister Bianca Jackson and her daughters Bex and Hope Fowler.
The character had been involved in some of the show’s biggest storylines, including her teenage pregnancy, the death of her boyfriend Jamie Mitchell, marrying Martin Fowler, experiencing a cancer scare, and facing a wrongful murder charge during her relationship with Reiss Colwell.
Following her exit from the show, Natalie sat down with radio host Chris Moyles on his Radio X show to discuss the future of her career, as well as one important tip she was given by Phil Mitchell actor Steve McFadden.
“Steve McFadden told me to buy my first flat. Remember, lovely Steve? Phil, as you know. ‘Get a flat’… I did very, very well. But it’s nice though, isn’t it? It’s good…
“Had it ages. Ages and ages. Sold it. I haven’t always been good with money. Tax bills and all of that… You know, great big tax bill. You have to go into Big Brother and sit in a bath of blue liquid!
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“You know, to be honest. People go, ‘Yeah, I really want to do that for the experience.’ Do you, or have you got a big tax bill?”
Natalie also explained what she would like to do in her next role, admitting she “loves comedy”, but her ambitions are slightly darker.
“It’s been a little bit relentless. You know, when you’re at EastEnders every day, all day. So, to come out of there, be a little bit brave, do you know what I mean?” she began.
“And just have that little bit more balance, see the children a bit more, you know, start just being able to sort of look at yourself, look at finances, and also be a bit more sensible.
“Do you know what I mean? I think it’s important to just take a step back. Yeah. And just have a little think about everything.”
She said she “always fancied [playing] a detectiv
