EASTENDERS star Natalie Cassidy has teased a dramatic exit for Sonia Fowler.
When the actress announced that she was leaving the long-running BBC One soap, fans have since feared that she would be killed off.
Natalie Cassidy has fuelled rumours that Sonia Fowler could be killed off[/caption]
Natalie, 41, is gearing up to star in the presumably dramatic live episode for the highly-anticipated 40th anniversary celebrations.
Now the actress has once again fuelled rumours that her decades-old character is going to die.
She took to the airwaves for her BBC podcast, called ‘Off The Telly’, that she hosts with Gavin and Stacey star Joanna Page.
Although she played coy about the precise storyline surrounding her exit, she did not confirm that her departure would not involve a death.
The EastEnders star admitted: “I can tell you absolutely nothing. There is a lot going on at the moment, it’s really, really busy.
“We’ve got the 40th anniversary coming up.”
Joanna interjected as she wondered how the star was feeling about the upcoming live episode.
The sitcom personality asked: “How are you feeling about the last episode?”
To which Natalie once again explained how much preparation was going on behind the scenes.
She also made it clear that she was not going to give anything away when it comes to storyline details.
Joanna then asked her if her character was going to be killed off.
To which Natalie did not deny the question as she exclaimed: “Well I can’t tell you that!”
Her co-host appeared to be both excited for the episode but also completely shocked as she replied: “Oh my god!”
Natalie then reflected on the work that goes into making a live episode, something the serial drama has done a number of times.
Sonia Fowler’s biggest EastEnders storylines
Sonia Fowler has featured in EastEnders since 1993, and after starring in thousands of episodes, has been featured in storylines ranging from teenage pregnancy to a cancer scare. Here are some of her biggest.
- Teen Pregnancy and Birth of Chloe Jackson (1999-2000)
Sonia discovered she was pregnant at the age of 15. Viewers were shocked by the sudden birth, as the teen went into labour without even realising she was pregnant. Martin Fowler turned out to be Chloe’s father. Sonia initially decided to give the girl up for adoption. - Death of her boyfriend (2002)
Sonia’s boyfriend, Jamie Mitchell, was hit by a car driven by her baby’s father. Jamie had just bought an engagement ring for his girlfriend before being struck down by the thoughtless Martin, who was texting while driving. Although the Jamie was rushed to hospital, docs said his liver was irreparably damaged, and he ended up dying with Sonia by his side. - Marriage to Martin Fowler and Family Tensions (2004-2007)
In a shock twist Sonia went on to marry the man responsible for her previous boyfriend’s death. Their relationship was marred by conflicts and infidelity, and they went on to split up after just three years. At one point in their marriage Sonia was taken hostage by Sarah Cairns, who became obsessed with Martin after he flirted with her during a drunken night out. The couple went through struggles again when the adoptive parents of their daughter were killed in a car crash, leaving them responsible for Rebecca. Because of the tension in their relationship Sonia ended up cheating on her husband with one of her co-workers, nurse Naomi Julien. - Custody Battle for Rebecca (2005-2007)
Baby Chloe, who was renamed Rebecca, was kidnapped by her mum early in life before being returned to her adoptive parents. After Neil and Sue Miller died they awarded Martin full custody of the child because of Sonia’s extra-marital affair. The mum was left distraught to be cut out of her daughter’s life. - Gastric Band Surgery and Weight Struggles (2014-2015)
Sonia became insecure about her weight and arranged to have a secret gastric band surgery in Bulgaria. She later collapsed at an exercise class after suffering complications from the operation. - Discovery of Bex’s Suicide Attempt (2019)
Sonia’s daughter Rebecca tried to take her own life in a heartbreaking storyline which left viewers in tears. She found Bex unconscious after taking an overdose, and was devastated. Sonia blamed herself for pushing her daughter to breaking point, as she had tried to force her into going to Oxford despite Bex saying she didn’t feel ready for university.
After Joanna asked if she would feel nervous hearing the theme tune, she admitted: “I’ve done lives before there, you don’t hear the music thank goodness.
“But you do get a countdown. And yeah, you just gotta go for it.”
She added: “The adrenaline is so much that it’s very high drama.”
“The wonderful floor manager who is on with you [will signal], you know when it’s over and you get ready and will gear up for the next one.
“It’s half an hour of madness but it will be amazing.”
Natalie Cassidy has been an EastEnders mainstay since her debut in the 90s[/caption]
Fans are incredibly nervous that her character might meet her demise[/caption]
Sonia recently stood trial for the murder of Debbie Colwell[/caption]
The character could be in trouble as she’s set for a showdown with her fiance Reiss[/caption]
EastEnders continues on BBC One and is available to stream on iPlayer.
