EastEnders star Natalie Cassidy has revealed her regret over a weight loss DVD she released in 2007.
The soap star, famous for playing Walford legend Sonia Fowler, previously spoke of her regret on the Guardian’s Comfort Eating podcast, with host Grace Dent.
When she was 10 years old, she was cast in EastEnders, as young Sonia Jackson.
She rejoined the show in 2014, following a seven-year break. She has continued to play the character since then, as one of the soap’s most iconic characters.
Natalie Cassidy weight loss
In addition to her work on EastEnders, Natalie also discussed the workout DVD she starred in, titled Then and Now.
She explained that she was offered £100k to take part in the production.
“I was very overweight, and they approached me and said, ‘Listen, we’re going to give you a hundred grand, we’re going to get you really fit and you’re going to lose four stone.”
She continued: “Happy days, I’d have a go. I thought, ‘That’s a lot of money.'” However, she came to regret her part in the production. “It wasn’t the right thing to do,” she explained.
Making the DVD in such a short space of time took its toll on her physical and mental health.
Read more: EastEnders’ Letitia Dean’s weight loss thrills fans
“You’re losing a lot of weight in a three or four month period, twelve or sixteen weeks, really low calories, and just training every day.”
And the weight loss didn’t last: “As soon as that DVD came out, I ate for England. I put it all back on again in eight weeks.”
Her later DVD, however, The Perfect 10, was a more positive experience. “The second one was much more relaxed.”
Soap legends
In addition to recalling her weight loss DVD, Natalie remembered her upbringing on the soap.
“It was just amazing. Wendy Richards, June Brown, Barbara Windsor… these iconic women would talk to me about work and what they’ve done before, what I needed to do and how good I was. I just had this amazing, magical place. It was and still is home.”
And Walford wouldn’t feel right without the iconic Sonia Fowler there!
EastEnders usually airs Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One.
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