Strictly Come Dancing star confesses they felt 'fat-shamed' while taking part on show

An EastEnders legend has opened up about her time on Strictly Come Dancing and said she felt 'fat shamed' as she recalled being asked to pick up her pro dancer

EastEnders legend Natalie Cassidy has spoken out about the 'fat-shaming' she endured while lighting up the Strictly Come Dancing floor. Best known as Sonia Fowler from the BBC soap opera, she took to the dance stage in 2009, where she twirled her way to an impressive fifth place with dance partner Vincent Simone. But, despite wowing audiences, Cassidy faced some less-than-comfortable moments on the show due to her weight at the time.

She told The Sun back in 2022: "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 experience, she expressed her feelings, saying: "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."

The memories don't taint her love for Strictly's sparkle, however. She affectionately reminisced about the "glitz and glamour" of it all and described it as the "best job outside of EastEnders". Natalie enthused, "We had the best time and I loved it." Since her stint on the dance competition, Natalie has revamped her lifestyle choices, honing in on healthier eating and ditching junk food.

This switch-up has led to a remarkable slim-down, due to a combination of diet, running and a renewed, sensible approach to managing her weight after overcoming past challenges. Before her stint on Strictly, Natalie was recognised for her weight fluctuations and even launched a fitness DVD in 2007 named Natalie Cassidy's Then and Now Workout. However, the EastEnders star has since shed an impressive four stone and is now feeling healthier and happier than ever.

Natalie has become a familiar face, playing Sonia Fowler on EastEnders for the past three decades. In addition to her iconic role in the BBC soap, which will mark its 40th anniversary next year, Natalie also hosts two weekly podcasts, Life With Nat and Off The Telly. She's also recently landed a presenting role on Channel 4's new four-part consumer affairs programme, What's The Big Deal?, set to broadcast this winter.

Away from the limelight, the actress is engaged to cameraman Marc Humphreys and is a mother to two daughters, Joanie, eight, and Eliza, 13. Earlier this month, Natalie exclusively told OK! that she often experiences 'mum guilt' when her work obligations keep her away from home more than she'd prefer. Like all mothers, she understands that juggling work and childcare can be tough.

She shared: "I get mum guilt all the time 100%," she confesses. "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."