Host Giovanna said: “I know that in the years to come you do find yourself in a place where you are completely comfortable with your body.”
Natalie, who has been promoting her new bookHappy Days, replied: “I am but I think it damaged me doing that.
“Well I still would look in the mirror and go ‘oh I could be this, could be that.’
“But I think that is just us today.
“I just think it’s what we’re seeing all the time as women and men, but as women, I think it’s a scary world when you think about what we look like all the time.”
The soap actress opened up about signing up to do the DVD at a vulnerable time – and said she regrets her decision.
She added: “I’d lost mum at 19 so all of that weight stuff was happening through all of that time.
“Silly decisions were being made, shouldn’t have done that, not the right guidance.
“It’s a silly thing to do but if someone says ‘here’s £100,000 you want to lose some weight?’ I was like ‘yeah, I’ll take that’.”
EastEnders’ Natalie Cassidy reveals she has finally ‘forgiven herself’ over horrific family loss
Natalie said losing weight for the DVD left her “worse off” with her body.
She explained: “It took a turn for the worse, I put loads of weight on very, very quickly afterwards, if not more.
“I think I just ate loads and then I started taking laxatives at some point.
“And you know I would never say I had an eating disorder, I’m very fortunate to say that, but you know I think if I had carried on with laxatives and this and that, who knows where I’d be.”
Natalie said that raising her daughters Eliza, 14, and Joanie, eight, helped her snap out the cycle.
She said: “I think because you’re not the be all and end all. You have those kids and that’s it. You forget about yourself.
“All you worry about, all you focus on is if they’re well cared for, their dinner, what they’re eating, what they’re wearing, are they sleeping. that that was my focus and the idea of worrying about what I look like kind of fell to the wayside.”
6
Natalie, who plays Sonya in Eastenders, shared how she was offered the DVD when ‘silly decisions were being made’Credit: BBC
DIET PILL RUMOURS
However, attention on her weight has not eased up over the years.
Just last year, Natalie, who has been with her BBC cameraman fiance Marc Humphrey since 2014, was forced to deny she used diet pills to lose weight.
Her fans were targeted by scams online and the actress took to her social media to clarify that she recently lost her weight by cutting out treats.
The actress previously told The Sun: “I cut out rubbish. I cut down on alcohol too, even though I love white wine.”
“Alcohol is full of hidden calories, which all add up when it comes to a person’s daily limit.”
Natalie explained: “I’ve never gone through any injectable route.
“I’ve not done Botox before or lip filler. I just haven’t. So to inject something, I’m just scared of it.”
Giovanna, 40 – mum to Buzz, 11, Buddy, nine, and Max, six – gave her own views on weight loss jabs and admitted that they have come up on her radar.
It’s a silly thing to do but if someone says ‘here’s £100,000 you want to lose some weight?’ I was like ‘yeah, I’ll take that’
Natalie Cassidy
The wife of McFly’s Tom Fletcher, explained: “Only because I’ve had people going and doing it in a way where it’s almost discussed in a way that they’re trying to encourage you to do it.
“I’m like, I don’t want to do that. No, I’m not interested.
“It feels so bizarre to go from ‘this is me’ to a ‘let’s change myself’, and for what?
“I don’t think anyone would like me more if I’m skinny.
“I don’t think anyone would love me more. I don’t think I’ll be happier.
“I think it would do the opposite.”
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Giovanna Fletcher opened up about her views on weight loss jabsCredit: PA
What are the side effects of weight loss jabs?
Like any medication, weight loss jabs can have side effects.
Common side effects of injections such as Ozempic include:
Nausea: This is the most commonly reported side effect, especially when first starting the medication. It often decreases over time as your body adjusts.
Vomiting: Can occur, often in conjunction with nausea.
Diarrhea: Some people experience gastrointestinal upset.
Constipation: Some individuals may also experience constipation.
Stomach pain or discomfort: Some people may experience abdominal pain or discomfort.
Reduced appetite: This is often a desired effect for people using Ozempic for weight loss.
Indigestion: Can cause a feeling of bloating or discomfort after eating.
Serious side effects can also include:
Pancreatitis: In rare cases, Ozempic may increase the risk of inflammation of the pancreas, known as pancreatitis, which can cause severe stomach pain, nausea, and vomiting.
Kidney problems: There have been reports of kidney issues, including kidney failure, though this is uncommon.
Thyroid tumors: There’s a potential increased risk of thyroid cancer, although this risk is based on animal studies. It is not confirmed in humans, but people with a history of thyroid cancer should avoid Ozempic.
Vision problems: Rapid changes in blood sugar levels may affect vision, and some people have reported blurry vision when taking Ozempic.
Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar): Especially if used with other medications like sulfonylureas or insulin.
Natalie Cassidy portrayed the role of Sonia Fowler in EastEnders across several stints since 1993, ending in April when the popular character departed Albert Square with her daughters
00:19, 07 Oct 2025Updated 00:25, 07 Oct 2025
Sonia Fowler, pictured right, had been a regular at the Queen Vic for years(Image: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
The actress, who played Sonia Fowler in the soap, told fans her consumer series What’s The Big Deal? is unlikely to be renewed after failing to impress on Channel 4. Her BBC podcast co-hosted with Gavin & Stacey’s Joanna Page has also come to an abrupt end.
Speaking in relation to the future of What’s The Big Deal?, Natalie, 42, said: “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 programme saw Natalie, a mother of two, test popular products to see if they lived up to the hype, in what was her first big job away from acting. On the podcast, called Off The Telly, Natalie discussed all things TV with Joanna, famed for playing Stacey in the popular sitcom.
But the new avenues have presented challenges for Natalie, who told fans a literary festival in Somerset the BBC had second thoughts about the podcast. She said: “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 is about her life on and off screen. In it, she reflects on her long tenure at EastEnders, which began in 1993 when Natalie was just 10. As a child, she won the Best Dramatic Performance from a Young Actor or Actress gong at the British Soap Awards in 2004, and enjoyed 21 more years portraying Sonia.
The character had a problematic marriage with Martin, which ended in 2006 when Sonia began an affair with Naomi Julien. They reconciled and Sonia was devastated when he died in February this year.
The Sonia Jackson actress says she feels and looks different after leaving the BBC soap after three decades
Natalie Cassidy on life after EastEnders and feeling free(Image: PR Supplied)
Move over Sonia Jackson and take your trumpet with you… after 32 years it is finally time for Natalie Cassidy to take centre stage.
The 42-year-old was only 10 when she joined EastEnders, and she inhabited the character with such conviction that the lines of fact and fiction blurred. But no more… Natalie says since leaving the BBC juggernaut this year, the changes have been so huge that not only does she feel different, she looks different too.
“It was amazing when I got to reinvent myself after leaving EastEnders,” she says, beaming. “Sonia isn’t the most glamorous of characters, bless her, but I wanted to stay true to her character, so I never got extensions put in, or dyed my hair.
“She was just a worker who didn’t have a lot of money and worked for the NHS. But coming away, and breaking free, I just thought, ‘I want to be glam. I want to wear coloured nails. And just feel like me’.
“I do feel like my face has changed a little since leaving EastEnders, because I was quite sad when I was playing Sonia, or angry all the time. So I feel like my frown lines have sort of faded away, which is quite nice!”
Since Natalie joined in 1993, Sonia fell pregnant at 15, lost Jamie Mitchell, faced a rocky marriage to Martin Fowler and had a cancer scare. She also took the lead in the live episode in February for the soap’s 40th anniversary, giving birth in the Queen Vic.
News of trumpet-playing Sonia’s departure shocked viewers, who had grown up watching Natalie’s powerful performances on their TV screens. Natalie says her 40th birthday was a turning point.
“It’s a bit of a cliche, but it is a milestone. You know who you are, who your friends are, and where you are in life. You don’t want any rubbish. Having been in this business for such a long time, I just needed to be free and be open to everything else.”
Mum-of-two Natalie admits she felt chained to the show, while conceding: “And that’s not a bad thing, because it’s regular money. But you haven’t got any time to plan anything else, so it does take over your whole life,” she says. “For me, I just knew I needed to be brave, and I needed to break free from that to sit and go, ‘What else is going to come?’”
Natalie is busy recording her podcast, Life With Nat, appearing in BBC comedy Boarders and fronting C4 consumer show What’s The Big Deal. The star, engaged to cameraman Marc Humphries, also plans to do lots of mum things with Eliza, 15, and Joanie, nine.
“It’s been freeing leaving EastEnders,” admits Natalie. “I feel liberated and just happy. Albert Square will always hold a place in my heart… and the door is always open for me to return, never say never.”
Read Natalie’s full interview in the November issue of Prima here.
Moira Dingle has thrown several punches throughout her years in Emmerdale. But Natalie J Robb, who portrays her, remembers one real-life fight that left her injured.
Emmerdale legend Natalie J Robb revealed she was once involved in a huge fight
She’s survived a brain tumour, kept Cain steady through the heartbreak of Nate’s death, and somehow held her family together.
Emmerdale’s Moira Dingle is about to face even more drama. “It’s all kicking off,” says Natalie J Robb, who plays the farmer. “She’s still in recovery, her tumour was only diagnosed last year.”
Moira has stood strong for hubby Cain, who’s still reeling after the discovery of Nate’s body in a lake. “She knows what it’s like to lose a child, so she knows the pain he’s feeling,” Natalie says, referring to the death of Moira’s daughter Holly. “But there’s just so many different emotions going on.”
Guilt is one of them. Before Nate’s death, he was beaten by Cain – fuelled by a rumour that Moira tried to kiss him. Believing Nate and Moira’s old affair had sparked again, Cain lashed out. “That fight they had,” Natalie says, “Moira believes she caused it.”
Moira is well-known for her intensity and her strong temper and fans often tell Natalie they wish they had Moira’s fire. In some ways, Natalie gets it.
Raised just outside Glasgow, she was a tomboy in a farming community. “There were more boys than there were girls. I didn’t get on with girls,” she admits. “I was into playing football.”
But life was tough early on – Natalie was picked on by other girls and sometimes, it was brutal. “I was walking home from school one night,” she says.
“I had a bit of a black eye, my lip was bleeding. My mum said, ‘Come with me.’ She dragged me to one of the girls’ house and said, ‘You’re going to fight her one-to-one.’”
The fight was stopped before it escalated but the lesson stuck. “I was terribly shy and quite sensitive,” she says. “But I’ve definitely changed. Maybe Moira has helped.”
Joe drops a bombshell on Moira, leaving the future of her farm in the balance
Now, the Dingle-Barton clan is about to be dealt another blow. Joe Tate’s gunning for Moira’s land, hoping to hand it over to Kim Tate, his step-grandmother.
“Moira can be a bit crazy, fierce and protective,” says Natalie. “But she’s a fair woman when it comes to farming and her business. What they’re trying to do to her is awful, it’s really bad. Her hands are tied.”
Butlers Farm is already struggling but losing it would leave Moira and Cain homeless. “The outcome is going to be much worse,” Natalie says.
“Ultimately, she thinks they’re going to have to sell. But Joe tells her fibs about her being a tenant farmer. She’s going to try to do everything to save it. But working with Joe? He gets right under Moira’s skin.”
As pressure mounts, Cain also locks horns with his brother Sam – who works for Kim and is friends with her through wife Lydia. Things boil over when two intruders are found hiding in Moira’s barn. Cain blames Joe, and tensions erupt.
“I go to punch Joe Tate, but as I do that, I punch Lydia in the ear,” Natalie says. “It’s very convoluted but it creates a big rift betweenSam and Cain.”
Luckily, the off-screen atmosphere is far calmer. Natalie and Jeff Hordley (Cain) have been filming together for over a decade. “We can work together with our eyes shut,” she says.
“We have a nice friendship and a good working relationship. But it was also nice to work with Ned Porteous, who plays Joe,and do things with Home Farm. It’s been talked about for a while, they’ve always wanted this land. They want the land for access, they don’t care about the farm.”
For Natalie, the storyline hits close to home. “I’ve got some farmer friends, they said that is the way it’s going a lot of the time. They’re making a lot of tenant farmers so they work their land,” she says.
“But they don’t have the same responsibility. It’s not theirs anymore, which is really sad. Farmers are a different breed, they have a different mindset and they don’t have time to mess around. They’re survivors. Even Jeremy Clarkson realises now how hard it is.”
Natalie Z. Briones is a concert veteran. She’s been to heavy metal concerts and a punk music festival where she napped most of the time. On Sunday, she attended her first baby rave.
Natalie is a few months shy of two. In the arms of her dad, Alvin Briones, 36, the pigtailed toddler squealed “Hi!” to anyone passing by the Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood where the Briones family was lined up to meet Lenny Pearce, the mastermind behind Natalie’s favorite song, “The Wheels on the Bus.”
Natalie Z. Briones, held by her father Alvin Briones, sports rainbow face paint at the baby rave.
(Elizabeth Weinberg / For The Times)
It’s not the classic version most parents sing while slowly swaying and clapping — Pearce’s rendition rages with enough bass to rattle rib cages. Natalie is here for it, and so is her mom, Alondra Briones, who plays the techno remix during her drives to work even without Natalie in the backseat.
“It’s a pick-me-up,” said Alondra, 28, from Compton, before filing into the theater with other parents and caregivers for an afternoon rager with their kids.
In Pearce’s techno remixes of classic children’s music, an unexpected subgenre is taking off — toddler techno — which melds the cloyingly sweet lyrics of songs like “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” with the edgy beat drops associated with music from gritty warehouse parties.
The unlikely musical pairing creates a bridge between parents like Sandra Mikhail and her 6-year-old daughter, Mila. Both dressed in fuchsia at Pearce’s dance party, the mother-daughter duo were there to celebrate Mila’s promotion from kindergarten. In their Riverside home, Pearce’s music is on heavy rotation.
Children squeal in delight at the baby rave at the Roxy as Kuma the money, Lenny Pearce’s sidekick, hypes up the crowd.
“I can handle kids’ music now,” said Sandra, 38. “With the beat and [Pearce] adding that techno touch to it, it makes me able to tolerate listening to it all day long.”
For the last year, Pearce has been hosting sold-out dance parties boldly called baby raves — first in his native Australia — then on the first leg of his U.S. tour, which culminated in a June 29 double-header at the Roxy.
In the afternoon show timed for that sweet spot many parents know well — post-nap and right before the evening witching hours — Pearce pranced, high-fived kids and waved at babies being hoisted in the air.
Lenny Pearce vibes with the crowd at his sold-out show at the Roxy.
(Elizabeth Weinberg / For The Times)
At 34, he’s been an entertainer for most of his life. Over a decade ago, he was dancing in music videos as a member of the Australian boy band, Justice Crew. Now, he’s firmly affixed in his dad era. His dance partner is now a large balloon spider named Incy Wincy.
“I’m just being a dad on stage,” said Pearce in a video interview from New York. “I can make a clown of myself to entertain kids.”
From boy band to toddler techno
Lenny Pearce uses props during his shows, including an inflatable duck.
(Elizabeth Weinberg / For The Times)
Pearce’s journey into children’s entertainment seemed preordained, if only because his identical twin brother is arguably the second most famous purple character on a children’s TV show (behind Barney, of course).
“We’re both in the toddler scene,” said John Pearce, the older twin by minutes, who in 2021 joined “The Wiggles” cast as the Purple Wiggle. “[My brother’s] stuck with it for a long time, and it’s all paid off now.”
At the Roxy, many parents and caregivers said they found Pearce through the Purple Wiggle. Others discovered him on social media: He has more than 2 million followers on TikTok and more than 1 million followers on Instagram.
Before becoming children’s entertainers, the Pearce brothers were members of Justice Crew, a dance troupe that won “Australia’s Got Talent” in 2010. For a few years, the boy band’s future burned white hot with the aspiration to break through in the U.S. — a dream that never materialized.
Lenny Pearce started making what he calls toddler techno music after his daughter was born in 2022. As a dad, he says he’s happy to act silly for kids.
Most boy bands have a finite time in the spotlight, said Pearce. In 2016, he quit the Justice Crew to focus on DJing and music production, but the transition from boy band to toddler techno didn’t happen overnight. For a time, he worked as a salesperson at an Australian electronic store.
“People were like, ‘Aren’t you from Justice Crew?’” he said. “And I’m like, ‘Yeah. Now, do you want this lens with that camera?’”
In 2022, becoming a dad to his daughter Mila changed the course of his creativity. Pearce started remixing children’s songs with “ravey” music and filming himself dancing with her to the songs. Soon, other parents started sharing videos of their kids dancing to his songs, too. In this way, social media allows for ideas to be refined until something sticks.
In March, Pearce released his first solo album aptly titled, “Toddler Techno.”
All along the way, he imagined playing these songs at mini raves. For this generation of kids and their millennial parents, it’s not a stretch, said Pearce. Pretend DJ tables are just as commonly sold in toy aisles as construction trucks.
In the fall, Pearce and his baby raves will return to the U.S. — and, yes, to L.A. — in a 30-city tour. As a solo artist, he’s done what he couldn’t do in a band — he’s broken through to the U.S. and international audiences.
“It’s funny, isn’t it?” said Pearce. “I always felt like I had something to say, but no one really listened.”
But are techno parties OK for kids?
Many attendees at the baby rave were wearing ear covers.
(Elizabeth Weinberg / For The Times)
The roots of techno — in Detroit or Berlin depending on whom you talk to — were always antiestablishment, said Ambrus Deak, program manager of music production at the Los Angeles Film School.
“It was exploratory,” said Deak, a longtime DJ who went by DJ AMB, about techno.
Toddler techno plays with that contrast — an edgy genre made safe for kids. Deak would not attend a baby rave — “It would be very cringe for me,” he said — but sees the appeal.
“I can definitely see a lot of people being into it,” said Deak, 48.
Still, not everyone is sold on the idea of taking kids to a rave — even one held in the middle of the day with a face-painting station. In the comments of Pearce’s social media posts, parents occasionally debate the appropriateness of exposing kids to drug-addled rave culture.
“I know that most people would say, ‘Is this the image we want to teach our kids?’” said Pearce. “What image are you imagining? Because if you think about it, they’re just kids with light sticks, right?”
He gets the concern, but kids don’t know about the darker sides of raves unless they are taught. And that’s not what his baby raves are about.
In the right dose, some experts say techno music and baby raves can be beneficial for kids and parents.
“Parents’ happiness and stress regulation also matter,” said Jenna Marcovitz, director of the UCLA Health Music Therapy program. “Techno can promote oxytocin and boost endorphins. It can encourage joy and play and really support brain development, emotional regulation and really enhance the parent-child bond as well.”
At the Roxy, one man vigorously pumped his fist to the beat of the music.
“Fist pump like this!” he shouted to the child on his shoulders. Both fists — little and big — jabbed the air.
How to keep it safe and sane
Glow sticks were a popular accessory at the event.
(Elizabeth Weinberg / For The Times)
Everything — especially baby raves — should be enjoyed in moderation. The pulsating music, giant inflatables tossed into the crowd and sudden blasts of fog can overstimulate kids.
For the roughly one-hour show, the music is loud. Typically set to 85 to 90 decibels, Pearce said. Having a sensory support plan is key, said Marcovitz, who recommends toddlers wear headphones with a noise reduction rating of 20 to 30 decibels or higher — like this one or this one. Practicing dance parties at home, so your child knows what to expect, is also helpful.
At the rave, look for signs of overstimulation, which can present differently with each child — some might shut down while others might start shoving each other mosh pit-style. At the Roxy show, one toddler sat down, ate half a bag of Goldfish crackers and poured the rest on the floor. Another disappeared into the crowd for a few alarming moments before being returned by a good Samaritan.
Toddlers crawl and lay down amid the crowd at the baby rave.
(Elizabeth Weinberg / For The Times)
“For any child, I would recommend breaks every 30 minutes,” said Marcovitz. “Step outside.”
Because techno hypes people up — even little kids — it’s important to help a child regulate their nervous system back down after the show.
“Lots of cuddles, silence and hugs,” said Marcovitz.
Pearce also starts the party late, so the dance party before the rave can tucker kids out before he takes the stage.
Ashley and Todd Herles drove from Santa Clarita to the Roxy so their son, Oliver, 3, could meet Pearce before the show. They said they bought $120 VIP tickets, which included a meet and greet and table seats where Oliver got to high-five Kuma, Pearce’s dancing sidekick in a turquoise monkey suit. For Pearce’s November 23 show at the Novo in downtown Los Angeles, ticket prices currently range from $48 to $195, fees and taxes included.
Overall, Oliver loved it — until he didn’t.
“[The] meltdown happened around 1:40 so we left then,” said Ashley, 40.
They had big post-rave plans to refuel with french fries. But Oliver was tired.
And, most importantly?
“Our backs hurt,” said Ashley.
Children bopped along to the music from atop their parents’ shoulders during the dance party.
