BBC EastEnders’ Sonia Fowler star Natalie Cassidy ‘very ill’ and throws filming into chaos

BBC EastEnders’ Sonia Fowler star Natalie Cassidy has revealed she is feeling ‘very ill’ and has had to take time off from filming on the BBC One soap, throwing filming into chaos

The soap legend who is known for playing Sonia Fowler has explained to fans that her illness has affected the schedules of her colleagues due to filming. Natalie, 40, didn’t disclose her mystery illness but instead explained she has to be “very poorly” before making the decision to take time off for several days.

Taking to her Instagram page, the mum-of-two revealed that instead of working, she’ll be sat at home on the sofa making the most of her downtime and watching television, rather than filming for television.

In view of her 438,000 Instagram followers, Natalie said: “Poorly. The only time I will ever get to watch the South Bank Show Originals. Beryl Cook. Bliss.” She continued: “But I hate being unwell and mucking up people’s schedules! Everyone works so hard and I really have to be very poorly to not go to work. Couple of days rest and I’ll be back at it!”

While resting, she’s been thinking about her new home studio and asked her followers: “Can anyone recommend a company that makes neon wall signs?” Natalie has appeared on the programme since 1993 and appeared in a string of heavy storylines, including teenage pregnancy.

More recently, viewers have seen Sonia attempting for her second child with her boyfriend Reiss via IVF. Before Christmas, Sonia believed that she was pregnant and took a test, alongside her pal Whitney to discover her fate.

However, it was sadly unsuccessful but they explained they will continue to try. Speaking previously about her 30th anniversary on the programme, Natalie told Loose Women: “I was 10 [when I started]. I was 40 this year.” During her earlier days on the programme, Sonia became known for playing her trumpet – but Natalie was already learning how to play the instrument away from work.

She said: “I started playing it and actually I wasn’t bad. They said, ‘Oh no. No more lessons for you. We want Sonia to be really bad at it’. I could have been great, couldn’t I? I could’ve been the next Miles Davis. But it never happened!” Despite taking on strong storylines, the actress explained that her favourite scenes are more casual ones.

“Oh you know what I love the most? It’s not the great big ones,” she explained before adding: “It’s the times when you’re sat in the Vic with all the women or it’s a Hen Do and you’re chatting and gossiping about stuff. I walk into the pub and still go, ‘I can’t believe I’m here’. It’s so iconic.”