After playing Sonia Fowler for 30 years, Natalie Cassidy claims show executives decided not to show an emotional farewell to Phil Mitchell earlier this year.
Soap icon Natalie Cassidy has opened up about her EastEnders exit – and she isn’t satisfied by how BBC bosses handled her goodbye.
Following a remarkable three-decade tenure on the Square, the 41-year-old actress, who is renowned for her long-running role as Sonia Fowler, bid farewell to the show earlier this year. Fans recently witnessed Sonia’s dramatic Walford exit with her signature trumpet and speedboat.
But it wasn’t the perfect goodbye. It appears the writers decided against showing an emotional scene between Sonia and Phil Mitchell, who bonded over the sudden death of Jamie, who died on Christmas Day in 2002 after being struck by a car driven by his rival Martin Fowler.
Natalie claimed that the scene was removed from her on-screen exit and that she was unhappy because of it, and that she had been speaking on her Off The Telly podcast, which Joanna Page co-hosts. I think they cut out the scene, which was my favorite scene, because I missed it because I wasn’t watching it properly.
“It was just me and Phil and Sonia and Phil in the Square.” I missed it. I might have to go back and look. Because it was a really nice scene, I would be very upset if it were cut. “Natalie added: “I’ve received a lot of DMs and messages and stuff just saying how people have shed a tear, but a happy tear. It was pleasant and upbeat, it wasn’t particularly depressing, and I didn’t take a black cab; it was just fun.
Natalie left EastEnders to pursue other projects, but she felt it was unfair to request filming time off from the producers. She told Bella magazine, “I left because I thought it was appropriate to do so.” After 32 years, I was prepared for a change.
Because EastEnders employs 60 cast members and 300 employees, they can’t accommodate someone who says, “By the way, I need two months off to do this, and then I need another three months off to do this.” It is unfair. I needed a quick break so that I could concentrate on other things and spend time with my family, which I haven’t done in a while.
Natalie has started a number of new ventures in her post-EastEnders life. The author’s upcoming book, Happy Days, which will provide readers with a glimpse into her life as a mother, was the subject of last month’s exciting news.
Additionally, Natalie hosted a special segment on Virgin Radio on the airwaves. Natalie told Joanna, “It was really good, and I’ve had a radio interview with her.” It was a little tense, but once more, it’s just another item off the list. It was good, but it was on the bucket list of firsts.
Source: Mirror
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