The soap star has lost an impressive four stone since her time on Strictly in 2009 (Image: James Curley/REX/Shutterstock)Get daily celeb exclusives and behind the scenes house tours direct to your inboxMore Newsletters SubscribePlease enter a valid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.More NewslettersWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More infoThank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow me See OurPrivacy Notice See OurPrivacy Notice×Group 28 Get daily celeb exclusives and behind the scenes house tours direct to your inboxInvalid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.Sign UpNo thanks, closeWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info×Group 28Thank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow MeNo thanks, closeSee our
Privacy NoticeEastEnders favourite Natalie Cassidy hopened up about feeling ‘fat-shamed’ during her stint on Strictly Come Dancing. The star, known for her role as Sonia Fowler in the BBC drama, competed in the dance show back in 2009. She danced alongside Italian pro Vincent Simone and impressively secured fifth place. However, reflecting on her experience, the 41 year old actress revealed she felt mocked for being asked to perform a lift typically executed by male contestants. Speaking to The Sun a few years ago, she recalled: “I was about 4 stone bigger than I am now. Vincenzo was quite little. And I remember one week, it was like ‘Oh, we’re going to do this dance, but you’re going to pick up Vincent.'” Reflecting on that moment, she said: “I think about it now and think, ‘oh that was out of order. That was a bit out of order to me.’ You couldn’t do that now.”
Natalie Cassidy took part in Strictly Come Dancing alongside Vincent Simone in 2009
(Image: BBC)
Despite the past discomfort, Natalie wouldn’t swap her Strictly days for anything and is even open to a repeat performance. She gushed over the “glitz and glamour” of the show, calling it the “best job outside of EastEnders”. “We had the best time and I loved it,” she continued. Post-Strictly, Natalie has transformed her lifestyle, adopting healthier eating habits and cutting out fast food, which has seen her slim down significantly a change she attributes to diet, running, and a safer approach to weight management after previous struggles, reports the Mirror. Before her Strictly days, Natalie was known for her fluctuating weight and even released a fitness DVD in 2007 titled Natalie Cassidy’s Then and Now Workout. However, the EastEnders actress has since lost an impressive four stone and is now happier and healthier than ever.
Natalie has played Sonia Fowler in EastEnders since 1993
(Image: BBC)
Sign up to OK’s TV newsletter to get updates sent to your inbox for free Natalie has become a household name having starred as Sonia Fowler on EastEnders for the past 30 years. Besides her iconic role in the BBC soap, which will be celebrating its 40th anniversary next year, Natalie also hosts two weekly podcasts, Life With Nat and Off The Telly. She’s also recently bagged a presenting gig on Channel 4’s new four-part consumer affairs show, What’s The Big Deal?, set to air this winter. Away from fame, the actress is engaged to cameraman Marc Humphreys and is a mum to two daughters, Joanie, eight, and Eliza, 13. Earlier this month, Natalie spoke exclusively to OK! and confessed she often feels ‘mum guilt’ when her work commitments keep her away from home more than she’d like. Like all mums, she knows that balancing work and childcare can be challenging.
Natalie opened up about ‘mum guilt’ earlier this month
She told us: “I get mum guilt all the time 100%,” she admits. “And I think that’s why we need to talk about it more. I don’t think you understand until you have children. People saying, ‘Don’t have children if you want a career’ is ridiculous. It’s an ignorant thing to say. “We’re not living in the 1950s, Dad doesn’t go to work while Mum stays at home. But we don’t have the infrastructure to support families who need to work. The childcare right now just doesn’t work. So all of that needs to be looked at and changed.”Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnEastEndersStrictly Come DancingNatalie Cassidy
