EastEnders fans are fearing the worst after it was confirmed that Sonia Fowler actress Natalie Cassidy had quit her role after more than 30 years on the BBC soap

Actress Natalie Cassidy is to leave EastEnders, more than three decades after her first appearance on the soap as Sonia Fowler. In a statement the 41-year-old said she was "extremely sad" but also "very excited" to be moving on.

NATALIE Cassidy has shocked fans by quitting her iconic EastEnders role after 32 years. But some think the soap star has been dropping subtle hints that she’s been planning to step back from

EastEnders Natalie Cassidy revealed this week she has quit the soap - and fans are certain it's not going to end well for her character Sonia Fowler

EastEnders' Sonia has been a staple in Walford since 1993 - but fans fear a heartbreaking twist is on the cards

EastEnders star Natalie Cassidy is to leave the BBC soap after more than 30 years playing Sonia Fowler. The 41-year-old said she was “extremely sad” but “very excited” to be leaving, with the BBC confirming her final scenes would take place around the series 40th anniversary week beginning February 17.

EASTENDERS legend Natalie Cassidy is leaving the soap for good – after nearly 32 years playing Sonia Fowler. Bosses were last night keeping tight-lipped as to whether or not her much-loved

The actress, who made her EastEnders debut back in 1993, has quit the BBC One soap after 32 years. Sonia, as viewers know, is at the centre of a big story right now as she attempts to figure out why sister Bianca Jackson confessed to the murder of Debbie Colwell.

Some of Sonia’s biggest storylines include her being bullied by her friend Clare Bates (Gemma Bissix) after she fell in with the wrong crowd at school, and her teenage pregnancy with later-husband Martin Fowler (Jon Peyton-Price/James Alexandrou).