08 November 2023 , 18:30
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Actress Natalie Cassidy has been involved in some of BBC EastEnders' biggest storylines over the years, having played the much-loved character of Sonia Fowler since 1993. But away from the dramas of Albert Square, the 40-year-old star is happily engaged and loves spending time with her family and two young daughters.
On Loose Women this week, Natalie shared an update on her wedding plans with fiancé Marc Humphreys. "We just need to get round to it, we just need to do it," she told the ITV panel. "I've thought about a big wedding and loads of people but I think when we do it, it will be down the road. In the pub, with all our friends and family, just get it done."
Natalie has found her 'soulmate' in fiancé Marc Humphreys (Instagram)
She has two daughters, Eliza and Joanie, and loves being a mum (Can Nguyen/REX/Shutterstock)Fiancé and family life
Natalie has had two public relationships over the years. The first, with Adam Cottrell, sadly didn't end well as she previously shared how the relationship was abusive. The pair were on and off for several years from 2009, splitting for good in 2013 after a lot of misery. While the relationship didn't go the way Natalie had hoped, she did get her beloved daughter Eliza from it.
She's since gone on to find her 'soulmate' in BBC cameraman, who she met in 2014. The pair got engaged in 2015 and a few months later in February 2016, Natalie announced they were expecting a child. She welcomed her second daughter, Joanie, into the world and became a mum of two. In one Instagram post, she gushed about their relationship: "It doesn't really matter what's going on as long as we have each other."
'Cracking' motherhood
In another post on social media, Natalie discussed motherhood and claimed she had 'cracked' being a mum. "One thing I do love and feel I've cracked, is being a mum. I'm not saying I'm perfect at it, nobody is. But I love my kids so much," she wrote. "I miss them when I'm not with them. I love getting home with them after school, and cooking their dinner and doing homework and baths. Yes, I moan at them and shout sometimes. Yes, they drive me mad at times. But we play games. We put music on and dance around the kitchen. We laugh together."
EastEnders' Jake Wood's snap of son has fans pointing out the pair's likeness
The soap star has said she would rather her daughters stay out of the limelight despite being well-known herself. In an interview with OK! Magazine, Natalie said: "Eliza is like me. She loves acting and musical theatre. As a mum, I just want her to do what I didn't do, and that's just to get some more stuff under her belt. I think it's important to be able to do something else as well. She's on a little agency as we speak and if anything was to come in that's interesting and wouldn’t take up too much time, I'm happy for her to get experience and do that. But I feel her education is important."
Though Eliza has already had a taste for TV as she made a surprise appearance on Junior Bake Off last year. Natalie kept Eliza's stint on the show private until after she had left the show. Announcing the news to fans she shared: "This is Eliza. She was 10 and decided to enter for Junior Bake Off. I said, 'oh Eliza, you'll never get through, thousands apply and I don’t want you to be disappointed'. She got through. And her confidence, determination and maturity has blown me away."
Natalie's dad Charles sadly died two years ago when he was living with them (natcass1/Instagram)Losing her dad
Natalie was just 19 years old when her mum passed away, and she sadly lost her dad, Charles, in April 2021. Charles suffered from multiple medical issues and Natalie said she knew when the end was close. She had a 'gut feeling' that he would pass away soon and within a week he had died. She was by her dad's side at the time and said it was 'very peaceful'.
Speaking to OK! magazine, Natalie said: "I know it might be a bit morbid for some people but he sits on the windowsill and I like to have a chat with him." Natalie, her fiancé, and two children moved into their current house five years ago and Natalie's dad went with them. She said: "My dad was with us because his health started to deteriorate and I didn't want him to be living on his own anymore. I decided to bite the bullet and find somewhere with an annex, so that Dad was still with us, but could also be independent and have his own space."
She has now converted his room into a special space for the family to enjoy time together as well as placing his ashes on the windowsill in her living room where she likes to chat with him. They still refer to his bedroom as Grandad's, and she and the girls collect feathers in a glass box, which brings Natalie comfort.
Natalie was once in a parenting feud with presenter Denise Van Outen (PA)
The celebs clashed over their opinions of motherhood (Instagram/@natcass1)Parenting feud
One of the unlikeliest feuds in showbiz happened between Natalie and Denise Van Outen after the Essex star gave birth to baby girl Betsy in May 2010. Denise revealed she was employing a full-time nanny to look after her daughter so she could return to the West End stage, which Natalie didn't agree with. "Denise van Outen went back to work after two weeks because she said she needed to feel normal again. I just think, 'What have you had a child for? Having a child should be your job'," she said at the time.
Denise stayed quiet for a while, but the former Big Brother presenter hit out at Natalie for being a 'hypocrite' just a few months later, when she welcomed daughter Eliza into the world. Natalie was promoting her new reality TV show, Natalie Cassidy: Becoming Mum, on Lorraine Kelly, and admitted that she was driven by the money. Taking to Twitter, Denise ranted: "Natalie Cassidy criticised me for going back to work after having Betsy. Natalie's on Lorraine's show now promoting her reality pregnancy/new mum show. Isn't that work?... She said she did the show for money, so yes, that is work. Pot calling!"
Continuing her rant, Denise then pointed out that she'd done a family shoot to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital, while Natalie had chosen to "put the money in her pocket". Natalie refused to hit back, but a few days later, she attempted to diffuse the parenting row by insisting that she had 'old-fashioned' views of motherhood. She claimed she didn't mean to sound so critical but did hit back at some of the claims Denise had made about her.
In an interview with Now magazine, she said: "I haven't been criticising anyone. It's up to each woman if she wants to go back to work - it's a personal decision. But I'm old-fashioned. I couldn't do a job that required me to be away from my baby all day. It's not me. My reality show has been filmed and I went on Lorraine Kelly's show with my baby." She also said: "It's great for Denise that she gave the money for their first family picture to charity. Adam and I would love to be in a position financially to give money away. I hope when I’m the same age as her and more financially secure I’ll be able to do the same."