She’s been delighting EastEnders viewers since 1993, and it doesn’t seem too much of a stretch to say that actress Natalie Cassidy – who plays the lovable but naive Sonia Fowler – has become a national treasure.
Naturally Natalie, 41, is delighted by fans’ support of both her and Sonia telling Closer, "I’m very, very proud – I love it. And I love how much the LGBTQ+ community has embraced the character of Sonia and are so supportive of my career. Sonia is such an iconic character and I love playing her."
Since 1993, viewers have seen Sonia navigate a problematic marriage, a lesbian affair and become embroiled in a teenage pregnancy scandal. Natalie left the show in 2007 on a break to try a career outside of the soap – turning her hand to presenting with Natalie Cassidy’s Real Britain and appearing on Strictly Come Dancing, coming in fifth place. And despite the show facing scandal from some past contestants who’ve alleged abuse behind the scenes, Natalie gushes about her experience.
"Strictly is one of my career highlights," she reveals. "I had the best time on that show. I learnt a skill and got to dance every day. I just loved every minute of it. I have no bad memories. And my dear friend Jamie [Borthwick – who plays EastEnders’ Jay Brown] is doing it this year and I can’t wait to support him. He’s going to smash it! I think it’ll be lovely for people to get to know Jamie because he’s a really great guy."
Being such a well-known figure, the mum-of-two’s personal life is well-documented. Following a difficult on/off relationship with Adam Cottrell – the father of her eldest daughter Eliza, 14 – from 2009 until 2013, Natalie has been in a steady relationship with cameraman Marc Humphries since 2014. After meeting on the set of EastEnders when Natalie returned to the show, the pair got engaged in 2015 before welcoming their daughter Joanie, eight, the following year.
But despite having been engaged for nearly nine years, Natalie reveals she isn’t planning on tying the knot any time soon.
She admits, "It’s just not our priority. I mean, of course it’s a priority, but we’re really happy, and as a family we’re very solid. It’s just a case of fitting it in really! And the financial aspect of it. Even if it was a small wedding, I know that I’d want a lovely dress, stuff for the girls, great fresh flowers, a beautiful meal, amazing wine. Even if we only have about 30 people that’s still a lot of money. At the moment we’d rather book a nice holiday as a family, but I’m sure within the next few years we will get around to it.
"We’re not massive on big celebrations - I want every day to be good. Our love language is quality time, talking to each other. We chat a lot. Even after 10 years together, we still text all day."
Having been in the spotlight since the age of 10, Natalie is no stranger to the pressures of the entertainment industry and has been open about her difficult relationship with body image. Not wanting her daughters to experience the same difficulties – especially her daughter Eliza who is interested in acting – Natalie is conscious of how she speaks about herself.
"I’m much better with my body confidence but I still get those difficult moments," says Natalie, who has discovered a love for running and has completed two marathons.
"I’ve definitely learnt to get on with it and I don’t overeat, I don’t under eat. I have a treat, I like to drink. I think everything in moderation.
"Having daughters, I really want to instil body confidence in them. I’ve learned not to talk about my body insecurities as much in front of the girls because they do pick up on your attitude without you realising."
With Sonia a regular again on EastEnders and two hugely successful podcasts – Life With Nat and Off The Telly – to her name, as Natalie looks to the future she’s hoping to be more present in her daughters’ lives. "I’m trying to have more of a work/life balance. It’s lovely to be successful, but that puts a lot of pressure on you as a mum. That’s why I’ve partnered with Maltesers, because their campaign about lightening the load for working mums really resonated with me. We should be able to say that it is difficult and not everything’s perfect.
"I want to spend more time at home over the next few years whilst my girls still want to hang out with me! That being said, I have lots of career aspirations. I’d love to do some live shows for Life With Nat and maybe more comedy. I’m also working on a Channel 4 documentary at the moment. The struggle of being a working mum is real!"
Natalie Cassidy launches the Real Out of Office movement by Maltesers, part of its MotherLovers campaign which calls on colleagues and those around working mums to say ‘Let’s Lighten the Load.'