Natalie Cassidy says ‘I don’t belong here’ in ‘really hard’ admission after quitting EastEnders
Natalie Cassidy has opened up about life after leaving EastEnders, reflecting on the challenges of moving on from the role that made her famous
Natalie Cassidy has opened up about the challenges of moving on from EastEnders, a year after quitting her role as Sonia Fowler.
Speaking to Kate Thornton on the White Wine Question Time podcast, the actress reflected on life after leaving Albert Square and explained why she believes one decision she made throughout her career helped her avoid being defined solely by the role.
Kate pointed out that very few actors manage to leave EastEnders and build successful careers elsewhere after spending so long in one role. She told Natalie: “Look, you know, not a lot of people leave Albert Square in the back of a cab and are not ever heard off again, right? Not so much you, my friend.
“You are one of the handful that have managed to go on and scale new heights outside of what should have been a role that defined you and stopped you working elsewhere because 30 years, I mean, I’m amazed you wake up even knowing who you are, not thinking that you’re Sonia.”
The 43-year-old admitted it is “really hard” to step away from a soap after spending more than three decades on EastEnders, where the role made her a household name.
Natalie replied: “I know. I feel really proud actually, Kate, because you’re right. It’s really hard to come out of a soap after all those years and listen, I think the big thing is I’ve always not minded being myself.”
She explained that, while starring as Sonia, she deliberately continued appearing on quiz shows and giving interviews rather than separating herself from her public identity.
Natalie said: “So throughout all the years of playing Sonia, I’ve always done a quiz show or I like being interviewed.”
When Kate remarked: “Yeah, you’ve never hidden behind her,” Natalie agreed, adding: “No, and a lot of actors do.”
She continued: “Absolutely right. But there are lots and lots of actors who, that’s why they act. They want to hide behind something, you know.
“And I often think because I fell into it and it was, you know, I was in the right place at the right time in 93. I was 10, like you said. And I fell into the role of Sonia, but I’ve kept it.”
The actress also made a candid admission about how she views the entertainment industry, despite her long-running success.
She said: “And that is talent and being on time and professionalism and all of that. But I also always look around this industry and go, I don’t really belong here.”
When Kate asked whether she was still waiting for “the tap on the shoulder”, Natalie clarified that it was not a question of confidence in her abilities.
She explained: “No, it’s not a kind of, I don’t feel that I’m not good enough to be here. I just find that there’s a lot of people with a lot of egos and I could have easily just worked in a shop.”
Natalie first appeared in EastEnders as Sonia Fowler in 1993 after making her professional acting debut as a child in a production of The Beggar’s Opera. She remained one of the soap’s best-known stars, playing the character on and off for more than 30 years before departing in April 2025.
Since leaving Walford, she has remained busy with a number of projects, including her podcast Life with Nat and the BBC documentary series Natalie Cassidy: Learning to Care, which saw her train to become a carer.
