Former EastEnders star Natalie Cassidy has spoken openly about the devastating loss of her mother during a recent television interview.
The actress, who portrayed Sonia Fowler on the BBC soap from 1993 until her departure last year, appeared on Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh, where she reflected on her mother Evelyn's death from bowel cancer in 2002.
Ms Cassidy was just 19 years old when her mother passed away at the age of 63.
"I lost my mum at 19. She was 63, she was young," the actress told Mr Titchmarsh.
Natalie Cassidy landed her EastEnders role as a child | GettyShe explained that her parents had her later in life, with her mother and father being 44 and 46 respectively when she was born.
"Family is so important to me," the actress added.
Her two brothers were already teenagers when Ms Cassidy arrived, aged 15 and 18, making her an aunt by the time she was just three years old.
Despite the early loss of her mother, the actress reflected on the unexpected blessings that came from her family circumstances.
Natalie Cassidy appeared on ITV's Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh
|ITV
"I suppose I did lose mum, but what I gained was sisters-in-law and nieces which are like my sisters because I was an aunty at 3, so it all worked out in the end," she shared.
The actress has also been candid about the guilt she carried for years following her mother's death.
Speaking on the Life with Nat podcast, Ms Cassidy admitted that as a teenager, her focus was not on her mother.
"When you're a late teenager you're not really thinking about your mum unfortunately," she explained.
LATET DEVELOPMENTS
Natalie Cassidy starred as Sonia Jackson in EastEnders on and off for three decades
| BBC"I lost her quite suddenly and I've carried a lot of guilt really about the fact that I wasn't there.
"I wasn't there for her and didn't spend the time I should have with her."
"So I've kind of forgiven myself if you like.
"But the days for me don't get any easier - you just learn to live with it," Ms Cassidy revealed.
Natalie Cassidy reflected on the loss of her mother
|GETTY
The soap star experienced further heartbreak when her father died in May 2021 at the age of 84.
Prior to his passing, he had lived with the actress, who cared for him.
"It was an amazing privilege," she said during an appearance on Sunday Brunch in 2025.
The process of writing her autobiography, titled Happy Days, proved instrumental in helping Ms Cassidy confront her unresolved emotions surrounding both parents.