EastEnders star Natalie Cassidy has revealed she stepped away from acting to train as a carer after being inspired by looking after her late father in his final years. The actress, best known for playing Sonia Fowler on the long-running BBC soap, opened up about the emotional experience in her new show Natalie Cassidy: Caring Together.
She spoke about her father's death in 2021, saying: 'The final moments were breathtakingly hard but quite incredible really. I just remember holding his hand and stroking his arm, and saying, "It's OK, you can go now, we're all good, you've done your job."'
The 42-year-old explained that caring for her dad at the very end of his life inspired her to retrain. She said: 'Caring for Dad right up until the end of his life, and losing him, was one of the most painful things I've ever had to do. But the people I met have changed my life and are so inspirational. That's what spurred me on to do this.'
As part of the BBC series, Natalie returned to education for the first time since leaving school at 16, to study for a Level 3 BTEC in health and social care. Her training included placements at a care home, St John Ambulance, and a childhood diabetes unit, while she also learned about dementia, autism, and first aid.
The actress explained that care played a large part in her family life as she was growing up, as her mother cared for her grandma. When her father became seriously ill, Natalie and her family moved into a home with an annexe so he could maintain some independence while receiving support from both Natalie and his carer, Linda.
Natalie Cassidy: Caring Together airs on Monday, May 25 on BBC One.
