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Privacy Notice Natalie Cassidy, famously known for her role as Sonia Fowler in EastEnders, has opened up about her stint on Celebrity Big Brother back in 2012. The actress candidly shared on her Life With Nat podcast that money woes were the driving force behind her decision to enter the reality TV house: “I was in dire straits financially, having a really bad time, and I did Big Brother.” The offer of a “life-changing amount” of cash was too good to pass up for Natalie, especially as she needed to provide for her nine-month-old daughter Eliza at the time: “I went in there, genuinely, for the money to get out again, quick as I can.” Despite being evicted earlier than some housemates, Natalie felt relief at the prospect of returning to her daughter, yet she also reflected positively on her influence within the Big Brother house: “I went in there, and I just cooked, cleaned, did the tasks, had a bit of a laugh, came home.” Her stay may have been brief, but Natalie believes she played a crucial role in maintaining harmony among the celebs: “I was in for about… not long,” she said, “It was brilliant. I got out early I think because I was a bit boring”.
Natalie made herself very useful in the house, even washing Playboy playmate Karissa Shannon’s hair,
(Image: Channel 5)
Natalie considers herself the peacemaker of that season, suggesting that her departure led to an increase in tension among the remaining contestants: “I went in, came out again, I left, pandemonium started. Nicola McLean and Denise Welch were at each other arguing. I was kind of the peacemaker.”, reports the Mirror. While she’s keeping the exact figure under wraps, Natalie admits the pay cheque from her 16-day stay was substantial enough to help her settle a hefty tax bill. Natalie certainly put in the graft during her time on Big Brother, juggling cooking, cleaning and playing the peacekeeper. But it was her role as the producers’ puppet that really spiced things up especially when it came to ruffling the feathers of Hollywood’s tough guy Michael Madsen.
Natalie keeps herself busy appearing in shows from Loose Women to Strictly alongside her Eastenders duties
(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
She recalled: “I had the first task of chatting to people, riling everyone up.” Armed with an earpiece for secret instructions, Natalie was nudged towards ‘Reservoir Dogs’ icon Madsen. “They made me go up to him, when I first met him and I said ‘Hi, give us a high-five. I’ve seen you in Free Willy.’ Apparently he was really, really annoyed if anyone recognised him from Free Willy. They made me do it first up.” Despite the shenanigans, Natalie reflects on her Big Brother stint as “a real-life soap opera” sharing the stage with a diverse crew including Hugh Hefner’s “girlfriends,” Loose Woman Denise Welch, and TOWIE’s very own Kirk Norcross. Yet, through all the drama, her eyes were set on one thing getting the boot early to return to her little one. “I just wanted to get home to my baby,” she confesses.Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnBig BrotherCelebrity Big BrotherEastEndersDramaDenise WelchHugh HefnerKirk NorcrossNatalie CassidyNicola Mclean
