‘sign me up for the traitors!’

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Natalie Cassidy has been on our screens for over 30 years, thanks to her role as Sonia Fowler in EastEnders. Now she’s putting her experience and passion for TV into a new project, teaming up with fellow actor Joanna Page for the podcast Off the Telly, which Natalie, 40, describes as a ‘fun and easy’ listen.

When we chat to Natalie, who is mum to Eliza, 13, and seven-year-old Joanie, she’s just as down to earth as her soap character is on-screen. Here, she tells Woman’s Own the reason she isn’t in a rush to marry fiancé Marc Humphreys, why she’s so proud of her EastEnders career and how her mindset changed after turning 40.

Hi Natalie! Tell us about your podcast with Joanna Page…

Everybody watches the telly and I’ve been on telly for 30 years, Jo’s also got an amazing history with Gavin & Stacey and all the things she’s done, which is why we came up with the Off the Telly idea. It’s all about what we’re watching, what other people are watching and being really honest about it.

Have you been friends for a while?

No, I met Jo on Loose Women and we just hit it off! I also felt really strongly that it’s two women. I don’t know her really well, but we’re learning to get to know each other on the pod, which is really special. I’m genuinely finding out what she watches and she doesn’t know what I watch, so hopefully we can give each other recommendations. I think our viewing habits are quite different, which is brilliant because it differentiates us.

Speaking of TV, are there any other shows you’d like to do?

I’d love to do The Traitors. Sign me up right now! I’d like to be a traitor, that’s where the acting skills would have to come in.

Anything else on your bucket list?

I love playing Sonia, I feel like that’s my home. But now there’s room for people to have a little break and do other stuff. I love documentaries, I love real people and getting involved.

I’d love to host a quiz show, because you’re talking to the general public. There are a lot of men doing quiz shows. Where are the women?

Do you see yourself staying in EastEnders?

I’m very lucky because Sonia is one of the normal ones. She’s a nurse, she goes to work, she comes home. You have stuff going on like murders, whereas she’s the constant warm hug and I think a character like that can last forever. When you’re lucky enough to