EastEnders star 'fat-shamed' in Strictly Come Dancing weight row
Natalie Cassidy, famed for her iconic role as Sonia Fowler on EastEnders, has opened up about the 'fat-shaming' she suffered during her star turn on Strictly Come Dancing. Gracing the dance floor in 2009, she made it to an impressive fifth place with partner Vincent Simone, yet faced challenging moments due to her size back then.
Looking back at her time on the show in a candid chat with The Sun last year, Natalie revealed: "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 period, she admits now feeling that "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."
She insists that such an incident wouldn't be acceptable today. Yet, these instances haven't dimmed her affection for the Strictly experience. In a glowing reflection, she hailed the programme's "glitz and glamour" and labelled it the "best job outside of EastEnders".
Read more: Nick Knowles addresses Strictly curse
Natalie gushed over her time on the show, saying, "We had the best time and I loved it.", reports the Mirror.
Post-Strictly, she's embraced a lifestyle overhaul, focusing on healthier diets and cutting out junk food.
This transformation has resulted in a significant weight loss, achieved through a combination of diet, running and a sensible approach to weight management after overcoming previous struggles. Prior to her Strictly stint, 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 feeling healthier and happier than ever.
Natalie, who has been playing Sonia Fowler on EastEnders for the past 30 years, is a familiar face to many. Besides her iconic role in the BBC soap, which will celebrate its 40th anniversary next year, Natalie also hosts two weekly podcasts, 'Life With Nat' and 'Off The Telly'.
She has recently secured a presenting role on Channel 4's new consumer affairs show, 'What's The Big Deal?
', set to air this winter.
Away from the spotlight, Natalie is engaged to cameraman Marc Humphreys and is a mum to two daughters, Joanie, eight, and Eliza, 13. Earlier this month, Natalie confessed to OK!
that she often feels 'mum guilt' when 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.
She confessed: "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."