EastEnders’ Natalie Cassidy’s two new roles AXED within six months of leaving soap

EastEnders icon Natalie Cassidy has been left devastated after two of her new roles were axed within six months of her leaving the BBC soap after 32 years

Natalie Cassidy has seen two of her fresh ventures cancelled within half a year of departing EastEnders.

The star, known for her portrayal of Sonia Fowler in the long-running drama, revealed to supporters that her consumer programme What’s The Big Deal? appears unlikely to return after disappointing Channel 4 bosses.

Meanwhile, her BBC podcast alongside Gavin and Stacey favourite Joanna Page has also been brought to an unexpected halt.

Discussing the prospects for What’s The Big Deal?, the 42 year old admitted: “I don’t think it went down very well, if I’m honest. I don’t think it will come back. At the moment there is no talk of it. But I loved it and it was a great experience for me to do.”

The Channel 4 show featured Natalie, a mum-of-two, putting trending products through their paces to determine whether they delivered on their promises – marking her debut major venture beyond acting.

Meanwhile, the podcast Off The Telly saw her chatting about television with Joanna, beloved for her role as Stacey in the hit comedy series , reports the Mirror.

These fresh endeavours came after Natalie’s three-decade stint playing Sonia in EastEnders, having portrayed the beloved character intermittently for 32 years.

The memorable figure made her exit in April alongside her two daughters following intense drama, including the heartbreak surrounding Martin Fowler, father to her daughter Bex, who perished in the devastating 40th anniversary Queen Vic blast.

However, these new paths have proved challenging for Natalie, who informed audiences at a literary festival in Somerset that the BBC had reconsidered the podcast. She revealed: “We had a laugh doing it and it is a shame the pod ended. I don’t think it will be back.

“With the BBC sometimes, what happens is, through no fault of their own, they love exploring new stuff and they do chop and change. If something isn’t massively, massively popular, then they will just get rid and try new material. That is kind of what the BBC is for. The money is from you guys, so they do need to change things and make things new.”

The star was at the event to promote her new book Happy Days, which chronicles her life both on and off screen. In the memoir, she looks back on her extensive time at EastEnders, which kicked off in 1993 when Natalie was merely 10 years old.

As a youngster, she scooped the Best Dramatic Performance from a Young Actor or Actress award at the British Soap Awards in 2004, before going on to portray Sonia for another 21 years.

The character endured a troubled marriage with Martin, which came to an end in 2006 when Sonia embarked on an affair with Naomi Julien. The pair later reunited, and Sonia was left heartbroken when he passed away in February this year.