BBC EastEnders’ Natalie Cassidy’s love life from rocky relationship with ex to huge wedding plans
Actress Natalie Cassidy, who plays EastEnders' much-loved character Sonia Fowler, is planning her wedding day with fiancé Marc Humphreys after almost a decade together
Actress Natalie Cassidy is best known for playing Sonia Fowler for the past 30 years in EastEnders, but away from Albert Square, she has a surprising personal link to the long-running soap opera. The 40-year-old star has been engaged to BBC cameraman Marc Humphreys for eight years and describes him as her ‘soulmate’.
While the couple are happy in love and planning their wedding together, Natalie’s love life hasn’t always been smooth sailing. The actress has previously opened up about her challenging and abusive relationship with ex-fiancé Adam Cottrell, who she shares daughter Eliza with, and her attempts to make their union work.
Natalie and her fiancé Marc have been together for almost 10 years (
Instagram)
Actress Natalie has had two public relationships while in the spotlight (
Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Natalie and Adam started dating in 2010 and got engaged soon after, though their relationship quickly became volatile. The pair split in 2011 and the pair got back together for the sake of their daughter Eliza, before parting ways for good in 2013. At the time, Natalie said: “It was my decision. I’m really glad I gave it another chance. When kids are involved you almost have to. I can always say to Eliza, ‘Mummy tried, but it didn’t work out’.”
The following year, Natalie and Marc started dating and announced their engagement in 2015. Marc worked on several episodes of EastEnders from 2015 to 2022. In February 2016, Natalie announced they were expecting a child, daughter Joanie. The pair are still engaged and Natalie told OK! the duo ‘still fancy the pants off each other’. She said they have plans to tie the knot someday soon. “I do think we’ll get our close family together at a lovely place in London, go to a restaurant and have a big party afterwards,” she revealed.
Natalie with ex-partner Adam Cottrell and their daughter Eliza in 2013 (
Nicholas Bowman /Sunday Mirror)
Speaking about when she wants to get married, Natalie added: “Ten years would be a brilliant time to do it. Either 10 years together or 10 years engaged.” The star admitted she’s been ‘indecisive’ about the type of wedding she wants and swings between wanting a huge white wedding and wanting something really simple and ‘really easy’. She often posts about Marc and her relationship on Instagram, and penned on one post: “It doesn’t really matter what’s going on as long as we have each other.”
In another post, she discussed motherhood, claiming she had ‘cracked’ being a mum. “One thing I do love and feel I’ve cracked, is being a mum. I’m not saying I’m perfect at it, nobody is,” she wrote. “But I love my kids so much. I miss them when I’m not with them. I love getting home with them after school, and cooking their dinner and doing homework and baths. Yes, I moan at them and shout sometimes. Yes, they drive me mad at times. But we play games. We put music on and dance around the kitchen. We laugh together. I have a responsibility to raise these two humans to the best of my ability. So far, they are polite. They are kind. And they eat vegetables and love @eltonjohn and @bbcradio2. What more can I do?”
