Natalie Cassidy, who has played the role of Sonia Fowler on and off for around 32 years, will shortly be waving goodbye to Walford.
The actress announced her departure earlier this year but has now said “someone might pop out of the woodwork” in an attempt to “change” Sonia’s life before she leaves Albert Square – but who could it be?
Recently, Sonia was framed for a murder she didn’t commit, and it turned out Reiss Colwell was the true culprit – he had also been holding Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer) hostage for months.
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Plus, she gave birth to her daughter Julia during the 40th anniversary live episode, a name which fans of the soap were able to choose.
Fast forward to last week, Sonia was left in shock as EastEnders viewers saw Bianca sell her story to the press, attracting a lot of attention.
Natalie revealed to The Metro: “What’s happened with Reiss has been shocking, and Sonia’s tried to face it and move on, but it’s not going away’ Natalie told us.
“So, she’s at a crossroads in her life, but being at a crossroads with a newborn baby is really hard.
“Her dream of having a perfect little family hasn’t happened, and I think in the back of her head, she feels like she needs a fresh start.”
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Commenting on how Sonia feels about Bianca’s unforgivable actions, she added: “She’s very, very hurt because she asked Bianca not to do it, and she went ahead and did it anyway.
“Sonia is going through all that frustration and exasperation, but she will never hate her sister. She just thinks, ‘why couldn’t you have just listened to me and done the right thing because now look what’s happened’.”
EastEnders’ Natalie Cassidy hints at Sonia’s ‘very final’ exit
However, as crowds of true-crime fans gather outside Sonia’s house, someone has a particular interest in her and requests a “one-on-one” chat.
@bbceastenders Will they finally make peace in their friendship? #EastEnders #dramatiktok #bbceastenders ♬ original sound – bbceastenders
Natalie hinted: “Sometimes, when big life events happen, you find that someone might pop out of the woodwork to open your eyes and change your life. That’s what happens to Sonia this week…”
Speaking about her upcoming exit, she shared: “It felt very final but also very good. It’s a nice place to leave Sonia after so much has happened to her.
“Sonia feels like she’s never going to live down what happened with Reiss, so the only thing to do is leave the Square.
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“I’m never going to say goodbye to her because, after 32 years, Sonia is ingrained in me!
“So, while I’m saying goodbye on screen, for now, Sonia is always there, knocking about!”
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
