EastEnders Star Opens Up About Parenting Guilt on Social Media Ban
Former EastEnders actress Natalie Cassidy candidly discussed the parental guilt she experienced over a decision regarding her teenage daughter's phone access during an appearance on Thursday's episode of Good Morning Britain. The actress, renowned for her long-running role as Sonia Fowler in the BBC soap from 1993 to 2025, joined hosts Richard Madeley and Kate Garraway to talk about a new campaign addressing social media dangers for young people.
Campaign Highlights Harmful Content Exposure
The conversation centered on an algorithm experiment conducted by the organization Big Tech's Little Victims. This experiment created four fictional teenage personas to demonstrate the alarming volume of harmful content that minors encounter on social media platforms. Natalie Cassidy, a 42-year-old mother of two daughters, participated in this experiment and has since become a vocal supporter of prohibiting social media use for individuals under the age of 16.
When Kate Garraway questioned what parents should do in this digital age, Natalie responded with heartfelt honesty. "I think as parents, it's a battle. I think as parents, and mothers and fathers, we feel guilty and worried," she explained. The actress recounted a personal struggle with her elder daughter, Eliza, who pleaded for a phone, insisting she was the only one without one.
"That went on for a while. I gave in. I did not want to give that to her when she was 13," Natalie admitted, highlighting the emotional pressure parents face. Richard Madeley then inquired if she would endorse the United Kingdom adopting a social media ban similar to Australia's policy for under-16s. "Absolutely," she affirmed without hesitation, adding, "I don't know what we are waiting for."
Shocking Discoveries from the Experiment
Natalie Cassidy expressed profound shock at the dark narratives uncovered during the experiment. She described how the content targeted different genders with harmful stereotypes. "In terms of the girls stuff was very much the sexualisation of what you need to be for your man, the boy stuff was that you need to be a certain way for your girl. It all went together, it was very dark to me," she revealed.
Following her exposure to this material, Natalie confronted her 15-year-old daughter Eliza about her own social media feed. "I said to my Eliza, I'm very, very worried here, are you seeing this stuff that I have seen today? I feel like a bad parent, I feel naive and angry," she shared. Fortunately, Eliza reassured her mother that she avoided such content, but Natalie questioned whether teenagers have become desensitized to it through constant scrolling.
Personal Life and Career Update
Natalie Cassidy is mother to Eliza, from her previous relationship with Adam Cottrell, and nine-year-old Joanie, whom she shares with her fiancé, cameraman Marc Humphreys. The couple became engaged in 2015. In a significant career move, Natalie shocked fans last year by announcing her departure from EastEnders after returning for the show's 40th anniversary.
In a statement to The Sun, she expressed mixed emotions: "I feel extremely sad to be writing this, but also very excited. After another 11 solid years back on The Square, I have decided it's time to move on to pastures new. EastEnders is in my bones so I will never forget where I started my career and I will continue to love the show." She thanked executive producer Chris Clenshaw for involving her in the anniversary celebrations, concluding, "See ya, Sonia, going but never forgotten."
Good Morning Britain continues to air weekdays from 6am on ITV, providing a platform for discussions on pressing social issues like this one.
