EastEnders legend Natalie Cassidy has confessed she felt "nerve racking" after taking a bold step away from the small screen.
The 41-year-old, known for her long-running character Sonia Fowler, bid farewell to the BBC soap earlier this year following an impressive stint of over three decades. Fans recently witnessed Sonia's dramatic Walford exit via a speedboat, complete with her trademark trumpet in tow.
Post-EastEnders life has been bustling for Natalie with several new ventures. The star excitedly broke the news last month about her upcoming book, Happy Days, which is set to give readers a glimpse into her experience balancing life as a mother.
During the Easter period, Natalie also took to the airwaves with a special segment on Virgin Radio. Chatting about her foray into radio on the Off The Telly podcast with 'Gavin and Stacey's Joanna Page,
Natalie replied: "It was really good. It was nerve-racking, but again, it's just another thing to tick off the list. A little bucket list of firsts, but it was good."
Natalie had previously expressed her desire to play Oasis songs during her radio stint, sharing her adoration for the band by saying she "loves them to pieces". Moreover, the song Valerie by Amy Winehouse holds a special place in her heart, being dubbed as a "karaoke family classic", reports Plymouth Live.
The three-hour radio show was a different way to spend a bank holiday for Natalie, who says she would usually spend them filming. Speaking to News UK, she said: "Back in EastEnders we'd be filming, we didn't really have bank holidays.
"What holiday? I'd be at home with the kids, relaxing probably. I say relaxing, I don't really sit down. I'd probably be cleaning and doing the washing."
After her exit from EastEnders, Natalie shared her desire to explore "other projects" but felt it "wasn't fair" to request time off from the producers for filming. Speaking to Bella magazine, she said: "I left because I felt the time was right to do so. I was ready for a change, after 32 years.
"And EastEnders is a factory with 60 cast members and 300 staff so they can't cater for someone who says, 'By the way, I need two months off to do this, another three months off to do this'. It's not fair.
"It had to be a clean break so I could focus on other projects and spend time with my family, which I haven't been doing in recent months."
On the Monday Mile podcast with Olympian Amy Fuller, Natalie discussed her interest in taking up more presenting roles. Having enjoyed appearances on shows like Would I Lie to You?, she confessed her enjoyment of comedy.
She said: "I love acting but I do really like just being myself, I think possibly more so than the acting. I did Motherland a little while ago, which was fantastic, and I do love comedy so I would like to do more comedy at some point."
Story Saved
You can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.
