Natalie Cassidy | |
|---|---|
 Cassidy in 2011 | |
| Born | 13 May 1983 |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Known for | Role of Sonia Fowler in EastEnders |
| Children | 2 |
Natalie Ann Cassidy (born 13 May 1983) [1] is an English actress. She has played Sonia Fowler in EastEnders since 1993, appeared in the BBC Two sitcom-horror Psychoville and was a contestant on the seventh series of Strictly Come Dancing and the ninth series of Celebrity Big Brother .
As a child, Cassidy attended the Anna Scher Theatre. [2] She joined the cast of EastEnders in 1993, playing Sonia Jackson. In 2006, Cassidy played a rival to Lauren Cooper in an episode of The Catherine Tate Show screened on BBC Two. On 9 April 2006, the BBC announced Cassidy's departure from EastEnders with her final scenes being screened in February 2007. She then concentrated on work in the theatre, appearing in extensive UK tours of The Vagina Monologues , Bedroom Farce and Gertrude's Secret opposite Prunella Scales and a run of The Cherry Orchard at the Chichester Festival Theatre opposite Diana Rigg. [3]
Towards the end of 2007, Cassidy made headlines after losing a lot of weight, and released a fitness DVD entitled Natalie Cassidy's Then and Now Workout. [4] In 2008, she appeared in the documentary Natalie Cassidy's Diet Secrets for BBC Three. In 2008 she appeared as a regular panellist on The Wright Stuff on Five. Later that year, Cassidy gained press coverage for giving up her diet and regaining considerable weight. [5] In 2009, Cassidy was seen in a supporting role in the BBC Two comedy TV series Psychoville , alongside Dawn French and Eileen Atkins. The first episode was aired in June 2009. She also provided the voice-over for BBC Three's Underage and Pregnant.
On 25 October 2009, it was announced that Cassidy would reprise her role as Sonia in EastEnders in 2010 with her on screen family Lindsey Coulson who played Carol Jackson, Dean Gaffney who played Robbie Jackson and Devon Anderson as Billie Jackson. The Jackson family were reunited with Patsy Palmer who rejoined the soap in 2008 as Bianca Jackson. [6] Cassidy appeared in a small number of episodes between 8 and 18 February 2010. In 2010, E4 announced that Natalie Cassidy would be starring in her own reality TV show, [7] Natalie Cassidy: Becoming Mum. On 17 December 2010, it was announced that Cassidy would reprise her EastEnders role in 2011 for a single episode. [8] On 5 January 2012, Cassidy entered Celebrity Big Brother and became the fifth evictee.
In 2012, comedy show Very Important People on Channel 4, featured a spoof reality show segment entitled "Natalie Cassidy Is Doing This Now", which shows its subject engaged in various menial and humorous situations, for example hosing out bins, sorting through old pens, and taking her spare change to Coinstar. The role of Natalie Cassidy was played by comedian Morgana Robinson. Robinson also appeared as Cassidy in an episode of the comedy panel show 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown on 2019.
Prior to returning to EastEnders, Cassidy was the host of The Health Lottery ; a competition broadcast on Channel 5. [9] In 2014, it was announced that Cassidy had decided to make a permanent return to EastEnders, [10] and with the exception of her maternity leave from 2016 to 2017, she has appeared regularly since. [11]
In August 2020, Cassidy appeared in the BBC comedy series Mandy . [12]
In 2009, Cassidy signed up for a series of Strictly Come Dancing , beginning in October. [13] Her professional partner was Vincent Simone and she was voted off the competition in fifth place on 28 November 2009.
| Week # | Dance/song | Judges' score | Result - | Craig Revel Horwood | Len Goodman | Alesha Dixon | Bruno Tonioli | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Group Mambo | Group performance – not judged | ||||||||
| 2 | Tango / "Spider of the Night" | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 24, 26 (safe) | ||||
| Cha Cha Cha / "Bang Bang" | 6 | 7 | 7 | 6 | ||||||
| 3 | Paso Doble / "Malagueña" | 6 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 28 (safe) | ||||
| 4 | Salsa / "You'll Be Mine (Party Time)" | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 29 (safe) | ||||
| 5 | Viennese Waltz / "At Last" | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 27 (safe) | ||||
| 6 | American Smooth / "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone" | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 29 (safe) | ||||
| 7 | Jive / "Good Golly Miss Molly" | 7 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 30 (safe) | ||||
| 8 | Quickstep / "Tu Vuo' Fa L'Americano" | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 31 (safe) | ||||
| 9 | Foxtrot / "Magic Moments" | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 34 (safe) | ||||
| 10 | Samba / "Holiday" | 6 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 26 (safe) | ||||
| 11 | Rock and Roll / "Long Tall Sally" | 5 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 26 (eliminated) | ||||
Between 2009 and 2013, Cassidy was in an on-off relationship with Adam Cottrell, a transport manager from Bristol. They have a daughter together. In 2011, Cottrell was sentenced to 120 hours of unpaid work for attacking Cassidy at their home in Hertfordshire. [14] He had earlier pleaded guilty to assault and criminal damage when he appeared at East Hertfordshire Magistrates' Court. Cottrell was also given a restraining order banning him from contacting the actress for two years. [15] They reunited and became engaged, after Cassidy handed Cottrell a "sober up or leave" ultimatum, but they split permanently in 2013. [16]
Since 2014, Cassidy has been in a relationship with cameraman Marc Humphreys. In October 2015, it was announced that the couple were engaged, and a few months later, on 13 February 2016, Cassidy revealed she was pregnant with her second child. [17] She gave birth to a daughter in August 2016. [18]
In January 2019, it was announced that she would be running the London Marathon with some of her EastEnders co-stars for a dementia campaign in honour of their former colleague Barbara Windsor. [19]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993–2007, 2010–2011, 2014–present | EastEnders | Sonia Fowler | Regular role |
| 1999 | Pudding Lane | Sonia Fowler | Television film |
| 2006 | The Catherine Tate Show | Cheerleader | Episode: "1951–2006" |
| 2009 | Things Talk | Sofa/Satsuma | Voice only |
| Psychoville | Lorraine | 2 episodes | |
| Natalie Cassidy's Real Britain | Presenter | 6 episodes | |
| 2009–2011 | Underage and Pregnant | Narrator | Voice only; 22 episodes |
| 2012 | Crime Stories | Hannah Stevenson | Series 1, Episode 15 |
| 2016 | EastEnders: The Last Goodbye | Sonia Fowler | |
| 2020 | Mandy | Donna Ball | Episode: "Broadsword to Donna Ball" |
| 2021 | RuPaul's Drag Race UK | Special guest | Series 2, Episode 9: "BeastEnders" |
| Motherland | Ms Vaughn | Episode: "School Trip" | |
| Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | The British Soap Awards | Best Actress | Won | [20] |
| 2001 | TV Quick Awards | Best Soap Actress | Won | [21] |
| 2003 | The British Soap Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | [22] |
| 2003 | The British Soap Awards | Best Dramatic Performance | Nominated | [22] |
| 2003 | 9th National Television Awards | Most Popular Actress | Nominated | [23] |
| 2004 | The British Soap Awards | Best Dramatic Performance from a Young Actor or Actress | Won | [24] |
| 2005 | TVQuick & TVChoice Awards | Best Soap Actress | Nominated | [25] |
| 2006 | 12th National Television Awards | Most Popular Actress | Nominated | [26] |
Sonia Fowler is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Natalie Cassidy. Her first appearance was on 2 December 1993 and she departed on 2 February 2007. She returned briefly in 2010 along with other members of the Jackson family, and re-appeared in the soap from 8 to 18 February 2010 and again in January 2011. Sonia returned as a permanent character on 14 January 2014, as part of a storyline that saw her mother Carol Jackson develop breast cancer. Cassidy took maternity leave in 2016 and Sonia left on 20 September 2016 for her dream job in Kettering. Cassidy made two guest stints during her maternity leave, on 25 December 2016 via webcam and for a three episode arc from 14 to 18 April 2017. She returned full-time on 27 June 2017. On 29 December 2020, it was announced that Cassidy would take an extended break from the show, with Sonia set to leave the Square to return in spring 2021. She departed on 8 January and returned on 16 April.
Joanne Mary Joyner is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Tanya Branning in the BBC soap opera EastEnders and Mandy Carter in the Channel 4 school drama Ackley Bridge. From 2018, she has starred as Luella Shakespeare in the BBC crime drama series Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators.
Jane Danson is an English actress. She is known for her portrayal of Leanne Battersby in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street, between 1997 and 2000, and from 2004 onwards. Her other television credits include Children's Ward (1995–1997), The Grand (1997) and The Bill (2002–2003). For her role on Coronation Street, Danson won the 2011 British Soap Award for Best Dramatic Performance.
Naomi Julien is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, portrayed by Petra Letang. She first appeared in the show in the episode broadcast on 15 August 2005. Her storylines include a relationship with established character Sonia Fowler, a friendship with Garry Hobbs and Minty Peterson and being threatened by Dr. May Wright. The character was axed in January 2007 and her final scenes were broadcast on 24 May 2007.
Robbie Jackson is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Dean Gaffney. The character was introduced in 1993, but axed in 2003 by executive producer Louise Berridge. He made brief returns in 2004 and 2010 for two family weddings and again on 22 September 2015 to tie in with the exit of his on-screen mother, Carol Jackson on 2 October 2015. The character's reintroduction was announced on 17 April 2017 and he returned permanently on 26 June 2017. The character left the series on 19 September 2019, which was confirmed as a permanent departure the following month due to concerns over Gaffney's off-set behaviour.
Bianca Jackson is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders played by Patsy Palmer. The character was introduced by executive producer Leonard Lewis and appeared initially from 1993 to 1999, when Palmer opted to leave. In 2002 executive producer John Yorke brought the character back for a special spin-off show. She returned to EastEnders as a full-time character in April 2008, reintroduced by executive producer Diederick Santer. Palmer took maternity leave in late 2010 and Bianca left the series in January 2011. The character returned in December 2011 after Palmer signed a "working mums" contract, which granted her leave from the soap between April and November 2012. The actress quit EastEnders for good in 2014 and Bianca departed on 12 September 2014. Palmer reprised the role on 2 September 2019 for a guest stint and a second guest stint was scheduled for 2020, but later cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On 13 January 2024, it was announced that Bianca will return to EastEnders in the spring for a short stint to collide with the departure of her adopted daughter Whitney Dean. The character returned for 23 episodes; initially two episodes between 4 March and 5 March 2024, and again from 29 April 2024 until 12 June 2024. It was later announced in August of the same year Bianca would be returning again to tie in with the return of her father David Wicks. Bianca's return aired on 23 September.
Carol Jackson is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Lindsey Coulson. The character was introduced in 1993 as the mother of the Jackson family. Coulson decided to quit the role in 1997, but she returned temporarily in 1999 within a storyline that contributed to both the introduction of her boyfriend Dan Sullivan and the departure of her daughter Bianca ; in the storyline, Carol discovers that Bianca had previously had a relationship with Dan and they resumed their affair - which prompted her to end her relationship with Dan, disown Bianca, and leave the square on her own.
Lindsey Coulson is an English actress, known for her portrayal of Carol Jackson on the BBC soap opera EastEnders. For this, she won the 2000 British Soap Award for Best Dramatic Performance. Other roles include Cheryl in Manchild (2002–2003), DC Rosie McManus in Murder Investigation Team (2003–2005), DCI Sarah Tanner in Bulletproof (2018–2021), and Penny Armstrong in The Bay (2019–2021). Coulson's film credits include AKA (2003) and Funny Cow (2017).
Natalie Joy Robb is a Scottish actress and singer. She played the roles of Gemma Clewes in EastEnders, Trish McDonald in the Scottish Television soap opera Take the High Road (1990–1999) and Jude Carlyle in the BBC soap opera Doctors (2001–2004). Since 2009, she has portrayed the role of Moira Barton in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale. Her other television roles include Dream Team (2000–2001) and The Bill (2004–2005).
Billie Jackson is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Devon Anderson from 1993 to 1997, and by Bluey Robinson for a brief return in 2004. The character returned in 2010, along with other members of the Jackson family. It was confirmed in November 2009 that Anderson would reprise the role, 13 years after he was last seen on the soap. He made his return on 4 February 2010. The character was killed off in October 2010, and made his last credited appearance on 14 October.
Natalie Jane Anderson is an English actress, singer and television presenter. She is known for her roles as Stella Davenport in the medical drama The Royal from 2005 to 2008 and Alicia Metcalfe in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale from 2010 to 2015. She also played the role of Nessarose in the London production Wicked from May 2009 to March 2010. In 2015, she began appearing on the ITV talk shows This Morning and Loose Women on a recurring basis; Anderson also portrayed the role of Lexi Calder in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks from 2021 to 2022. In 2021 she played the role of Maryanne Borden in Liam Neeson action thriller Memory. In 2023 Anderson took guest roles in Happy Valley and Boiling Point and appeared on stage at Hull Truck Theatre as Kayla in Anna Jordan’s two hander play Pop Music. In 2024 Anderson played Claire Walker in the Netflix adaptation of Harlan Coben’s thriller “Fool Me Once”.
Tameka Lydia Empson is an English actress and comedian. She appeared as one of the three protagonists in the hidden-camera comedy sketch show 3 Non-Blondes. In 2009, she began portraying the role of Kim Fox in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.
Gemma Merna is an English actress and model. She is best known for portraying Carmel McQueen in the Channel 4 soap opera, Hollyoaks from 2006 to 2014.
Catherine Mary Ann Tyldesley is an English actress, known for her roles as Iris Moss in the BBC drama Lilies (2007), Eva Price on the ITV soap opera Coronation Street from (2011–2018) and Karen Norris in the BBC sitcom Scarborough (2019). She also appeared as a contestant on the seventeenth series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2019.
Natalie Gumede is an English actress. She is known for playing Kirsty Soames in the ITV soap opera, Coronation Street, from 2011 to 2013. She previously played China in BBC Three comedy show Ideal. She has also appeared in The Persuasionists, Emmerdale and Doctor Who among other television shows. Gumede was also runner-up in the 2013 series of Strictly Come Dancing on BBC One. From 2017 to 2019, Gumede began appearing in Netflix original Free Rein as Maggie Steel Phillips.
Jacqueline Mary Osborne is an English actress. She is known for portraying Lauren Branning in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. In 2019, Jossa won the nineteenth series of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!.
Kirsty "Dotty" Cotton is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Molly Conlin from 2008 to 2010 and Milly Zero from 2019 to 2022. She was introduced on 26 December 2008 as the daughter of established character Nick Cotton. Nick uses Dotty as his partner-in-crime; they plan to kill his mother Dot Branning and inherit the money from her will. She and Dot subsequently become close after Dotty sabotages Nick's murder attempt at the last minute. In her final storyline which aired on 23 February 2010, she left with her mother Sandy, who she believed died. On 3 October 2019, Dotty returned, with the role recast to Milly Zero. In December 2021, Sandy tells her that she is not Nick's daughter and that her father is Tom "Rocky" Cotton. However, in September 2022, this is revealed to be a lie. On 13 November 2022, it was announced that Zero had quit the show and Dotty left on 16 December 2022.
Lydia Simmonds is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, initially played by Margaret Tyzack and then by Heather Chasen. She is the maternal grandmother of Ricky and Janine Butcher. She made her debut on April 5, 2011, was portrayed by Tyzack, who left the show for health reasons on April 13, and appeared as Lydia in three episodes before dying on June 25, 2011. Chasen appeared in the role from 21 April. The character was killed-off and Chasen made her last appearance on 13 June 2011, and, though not credited for it, did a voice-over for the 14 June episode. Executive producer Bryan Kirkwood later said that Lydia's storyline was perfect and that Chasen made the part of Lydia her own.
Episode 5276 of the BBC soap opera EastEnders was broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 3 May 2016, between 7:30 pm and 8:00 pm. It was written by Daran Little, directed by Sophie Lifschutz, and executively produced by Dominic Treadwell-Collins. The episode features the only appearance of the character Alison Slater, played by Denise Welch. The episode focuses on Alison meeting her transgender son Kyle Slater for the first time since he transitioned from female to male, though Alison ultimately rejects her son. It also includes a "heartbreaking" scene between Sonia Fowler and Dot Branning about the possibility of Sonia having breast cancer, which was praised as "fantastic" by Inside Soap. The episode received a total viewership of 7,250,000 in the United Kingdom.
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