Latest news with #OffTheTelly
Scottish Sun
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Huge blow for Natalie Cassidy and Joanna Page as show AXED just one year after launching
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) NATALIE Cassidy and Joanna Page have been dealt a huge blow after the BBC failed to re-commission their podcast. The EastEnders alum, 42, and Gavin and Stacey favourite, 48, had teamed up for the audio shows discussing all things on and off the box. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 6 Natalie Cassidy and Joanna Page's Off The Telly podcast is coming to an end Credit: Off The Telly - BBC 6 It came after Natalie Cassidy quit EastEnders after 32 years Credit: BBC 6 Her co-hist, Gavin and Stacey icon Joanna Page, asked fans for their favourite moments from Off The Telly Credit: Off The Telly - BBC Natalie had addressed Masked Singer theories suggesting she was Bush - which proved to be correct - on the pod, as well as opening up on her nerves for EastEnders' 40th anniversary episode. Yet the episodes, which generally clock in at under an hour long, will now come to an end. Welsh screen star Joanna took to her Instagram Stories to post an image of the pair promoting their show and the words: "Our lovely pod is ending and we want to hear from you about your favourite Off The Telly moments. "Send us a voicenote," before stating the contact number. The Sun has reached out to the BBC for comment. A BBC spokesperson told us: 'What started as a six month project turned into more than a year of joyous TV chatter, and over 80 heart-warming episodes. "Though they both loved making the series, Natalie Cassidy and Joanna Page have very busy schedules and on the 21st May, the final episode of Off the Telly will be released on BBC Sounds. "Thank you to Nat and Jo for their warm recommendations and insider analysis, and to the whole team for keeping listeners in the loop with what to watch. "We look forward to working with Nat and Jo again soon!" Natalie, who told of her decision to quit her EastEnders role as Sonia Fowler earlier this year, still has her own podcast, Life With Nat. ALL CHANGE The podcast scrap came after we reported how Natalie had landed a new TV show with the broadcaster last month, shortly after she quit EastEnders after 32 years on the soap. BBC Daytime have commissioned a new series - under the working title Natalie Cassidy Learning to Care - for BBC One and iPlayer. The actress will fulfil her longtime ambition of wanting to train as carer. This means enrolling at one of the UK's top Health & Social Care colleges - alongside the next generation of carers. EastEnders Natalie Cassidy rushes to her nephew's aid in hospital after he dramatically collapsed and 'woke up in a body bag' In recent years, Natalie has cared for family members and volunteered in local groups. The show follows her journey across classroom to community care services - as she's there for life's toughest moments. While to make things official, the actress will have to pass her final exam. Natalie said: 'I'm thrilled to be embarking on a new adventure with BBC Daytime. EastEnders stars who QUIT MICHELLE Collins has seen her second EastEnders stint boost her bank balance. Yet what stars have quit this year? The Sun exclusively reported how Michelle, 62, was down to £20,000 in her company accounts when she agreed to a shock back-from-the-dead return to Albert Square last year. Her character, Cindy Beale, was presumed dead off-camera in 1998. Yet what about the 2024 exits? Earlier this summer, loyal soap fans appeared to note how Stevie Mitchell had "quit" the long-running series. It came after Alan Ford enjoyed just six-months on-screen. Bobby Beale actor Clay Milner Russell also left this year after five years in Walford. Fans also feared Martin Fowler actor James Bye would "quit out of boredom" over recent storylines. Additionally, a host of stars have quit the BBC soap for Hollywood fame. One of the most successful stars to come from the BBC One soap is Rob Kazinsky. He played Stacey Slater's brother Sean Slater from 2006 to 2009, he has starred in Hollywood blockbusters Pacific Rim and Captain Marvel. Ben Hardy, who quit EastEnders as Bobby Beale almost a decade ago, went on to break Hollywood the following year, when he starred as Archangel in X-Men: Apocalypse. Since then, he has played Roger Taylor in Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, and he starred in Michael Bay's Netflix movie 6 Underground. Michelle Ryan played Zoe Slater until 2005. She starred as the lead in short-lived American series Bionic Woman from 2007 to 2008. "In a series exploring social care, I will be going back to college and learning for the first time since leaving school at 16. "Caring has always been a huge part of my life, from watching my mum care for my nan, to being a mother to caring for my dad, this series is close to my heart and I can't wait for you to see it.' She also fronts the Channel 4 consumer affairs show What's the Big Deal? The screen favourite also took part in The Masked Singer earlier this year, in disguise as Bush. Natalie also took to Virgin Radio for a special show over Easter. 6 The pair's 'busy schedules' are to blame for the show ending Credit: steve bright 6 Joanna is best known for her role as Stacey Shipman in Gavin and Stacey on the BBC Credit: PA
The Sun
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Huge blow for Natalie Cassidy and Joanna Page as show AXED just one year after launching
NATALIE Cassidy and Joanna Page have been dealt a huge blow after the BBC failed to re-commission their podcast. The EastEnders alum, 42, and Gavin and Stacey favourite, 48, had teamed up for the audio shows discussing all things on and off the box. 6 6 Natalie had addressed Masked Singer theories suggesting she was Bush - which proved to be correct - on the pod, as well as opening up on her nerves for EastEnders' 40th anniversary episode. Yet the episodes, which generally clock in at under an hour long, will now come to an end. Welsh screen star Joanna took to her Instagram Stories to post an image of the pair promoting their show and the words: "Our lovely pod is ending and we want to hear from you about your favourite Off The Telly moments. "Send us a voicenote," before stating the contact number. The Sun has reached out to the BBC for comment. A BBC spokesperson told us: 'What started as a six month project turned into more than a year of joyous TV chatter, and over 80 heart-warming episodes. "Though they both loved making the series, Natalie Cassidy and Joanna Page have very busy schedules and on the 21st May, the final episode of Off the Telly will be released on BBC Sounds. "Thank you to Nat and Jo for their warm recommendations and insider analysis, and to the whole team for keeping listeners in the loop with what to watch. "We look forward to working with Nat and Jo again soon!" Natalie, who told of her decision to quit her EastEnders role as Sonia Fowler earlier this year, still has her own podcast, Life With Nat. ALL CHANGE The podcast scrap came after we reported how Natalie had landed a new TV show with the broadcaster last month, shortly after she quit EastEnders after 32 years on the soap. BBC Daytime have commissioned a new series - under the working title Natalie Cassidy Learning to Care - for BBC One and iPlayer. The actress will fulfil her longtime ambition of wanting to train as carer. This means enrolling at one of the UK's top Health & Social Care colleges - alongside the next generation of carers. EastEnders Natalie Cassidy rushes to her nephew's aid in hospital after he dramatically collapsed and 'woke up in a body bag' In recent years, Natalie has cared for family members and volunteered in local groups. The show follows her journey across classroom to community care services - as she's there for life's toughest moments. While to make things official, the actress will have to pass her final exam. Natalie said: 'I'm thrilled to be embarking on a new adventure with BBC Daytime. EastEnders stars who QUIT MICHELLE Collins has seen her second EastEnders stint boost her bank balance. Yet what stars have quit this year? The Sun exclusively reported how Michelle, 62, was down to £20,000 in her company accounts when she agreed to a shock back-from-the-dead return to Albert Square last year. Her character, Cindy Beale, was presumed dead off-camera in 1998. Yet what about the 2024 exits? Earlier this summer, loyal soap fans appeared to note how Stevie Mitchell had "quit" the long-running series. It came after Alan Ford enjoyed just six-months on-screen. Bobby Beale actor Clay Milner Russell also left this year after five years in Walford. Fans also feared Martin Fowler actor James Bye would "quit out of boredom" over recent storylines. Additionally, a host of stars have quit the BBC soap for Hollywood fame. One of the most successful stars to come from the BBC One soap is Rob Kazinsky. He played Stacey Slater's brother Sean Slater from 2006 to 2009, he has starred in Hollywood blockbusters Pacific Rim and Captain Marvel. Ben Hardy, who quit EastEnders as Bobby Beale almost a decade ago, went on to break Hollywood the following year, when he starred as Archangel in X-Men: Apocalypse. Since then, he has played Roger Taylor in Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, and he starred in Michael Bay 's Netflix movie 6 Underground. Michelle Ryan played Zoe Slater until 2005. She starred as the lead in short-lived American series Bionic Woman from 2007 to 2008. "In a series exploring social care, I will be going back to college and learning for the first time since leaving school at 16. "Caring has always been a huge part of my life, from watching my mum care for my nan, to being a mother to caring for my dad, this series is close to my heart and I can't wait for you to see it.' She also fronts the Channel 4 consumer affairs show What's the Big Deal? The screen favourite also took part in The Masked Singer earlier this year, in disguise as Bush. Natalie also took to Virgin Radio for a special show over Easter. 6 6
The Irish Sun
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Huge blow for Natalie Cassidy and Joanna Page as show AXED just one year after launching
NATALIE Cassidy and Joanna Page have been dealt a huge blow after the BBC failed to re-commission their podcast. The EastEnders alum, 42, and Gavin and Stacey favourite, 48, had teamed up for the audio shows discussing all things on and off the box. Advertisement 6 Natalie Cassidy and Joanna Page's Off The Telly podcast is coming to an end Credit: Off The Telly - BBC 6 It came after Natalie Cassidy quit EastEnders after 32 years Credit: BBC 6 Her co-hist, Gavin and Stacey icon Joanna Page, asked fans for their favourite moments from Off The Telly Credit: Off The Telly - BBC Natalie had Yet the episodes, which generally clock in at under an hour long, will now come to an end. Welsh screen star "Send us a voicenote," before stating the contact number. Advertisement read more natalie cassidy The Sun has reached out to the BBC for comment. A BBC spokesperson told us: 'What started as a six month project turned into more than a year of joyous TV chatter, and over 80 heart-warming episodes. "Though they both loved making the series, Natalie Cassidy and Joanna Page have very busy schedules and on the 21st May, the final episode of Off the Telly will be released on BBC Sounds. "Thank you to Nat and Jo for their warm recommendations and insider analysis, and to the whole team for keeping listeners in the loop with what to watch. Advertisement Most read in Celebrity "We look forward to working with Nat and Jo again soon!" Natalie, who told of her ALL CHANGE The podcast scrap came after we reported how BBC Daytime have commissioned a new series - under the working title Natalie Cassidy Learning to Care - for BBC One and iPlayer. Advertisement The actress will fulfil her longtime ambition of wanting to train as carer. This means enrolling at one of the UK's top Health & Social Care colleges - alongside the next generation of carers. EastEnders Natalie Cassidy rushes to her nephew's aid in hospital after he dramatically collapsed and 'woke up in a body bag' In recent years, Natalie has cared for family members and volunteered in local groups. The show follows her journey across classroom to community care services - as she's there for life's toughest moments. Advertisement While to make things official, the actress will have to pass her final exam. Natalie said: 'I'm thrilled to be embarking on a new adventure with BBC Daytime. EastEnders stars who QUIT MICHELLE Collins has seen her second EastEnders stint boost her bank balance. Yet what stars have quit this year? The Sun exclusively reported how Michelle, 62, was down to £20,000 in her company accounts when she agreed to a Her character, Cindy Beale, was presumed dead off-camera in 1998. Yet what about the 2024 exits? Earlier this summer, loyal soap fans appeared to note how It came after Alan Ford enjoyed just six-months on-screen. Fans also Additionally, a host of stars have One of the most successful stars to come from the BBC One soap is Rob Kazinsky. He played Stacey Slater's brother Sean Slater from 2006 to 2009, he has starred in Hollywood blockbusters Pacific Rim and Ben Hardy, who quit EastEnders as Bobby Beale almost a decade ago, went on to break Hollywood the following year, when he starred as Archangel in X-Men: Apocalypse. Since then, he has played Roger Taylor in Queen biopic Michelle Ryan played Zoe Slater until 2005. She starred as the lead in short-lived American series Bionic Woman from 2007 to 2008. "In a series exploring social care, I will be going back to college and learning for the first time since leaving school at 16. "Caring has always been a huge part of my life, from watching my mum care for my nan, to being a mother to caring for my dad, this series is close to my heart and I can't wait for you to see it.' Advertisement She also fronts the Channel 4 consumer affairs show What's the Big Deal? The screen favourite also took part in The Masked Singer earlier this year, in disguise as Bush. Natalie also 6 The pair's 'busy schedules' are to blame for the show ending Credit: steve bright Advertisement 6 Joanna is best known for her role as Stacey Shipman in Gavin and Stacey on the BBC Credit: PA 6 Natalie has bagged a host of new media work since her EastEnders exit Credit: Getty
Daily Mirror
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
EastEnders' Natalie Cassidy's family tragedy inspired 'exciting' career move
Natalie Cassidy spend three decades playing Sonia Jackson on EastEnders, but the star has now announced a new career move after quitting the popular BBC soap EastEnders legend Natalie Cassidy is "really excited" for a career move that she says is inspired by her late father, Charles. It comes just months after the star quit her job on the BBC soap. Natalie's father died in 2021, but she previously revealed she likes to keep his memory alive. The soapstar admits she keeps his ashes on a windowsill and "talks" to him everyday. Natalie's relationship with her father deepened when he moved in with her in his later years. She has now announced she is preparing to work on a new BBC project examining social care. Speaking candidly on her Off The Telly podcast, Natalie enthused: "I've got a really exciting new project that is happening. I am, for the BBC, going back to school. I'm going back to college and I'm studying social care, from the early years right up to palliative care. "I'm going to be on placements, looking at different things, we've not started the filming yet, so the structure is still being done, but fingers crossed, this time next year it'll be on the telly. It was quite a passion project because I cared for my dad. "I cared for him right up until the end of his life and I've always wanted to do more about elderly care. This course incorporates a lot of elderly care, but also other care as well throughout life." In addition to venturing into uncharted territory, Natalie unveiled that she will take exams as part of her venture, reports Plymouth Live. And while the project is still in its early stages, she is "really excited" by it, adding: "It's a very loose idea at the moment but it is definitely happening." The star, who recently left EastEnders after 30 years as Sonia Jackson, wants to explore why people get into the care sector as well as learning how different facilities work. Natalie originally moved her dad into the home she shares with partner Marc Humphreys and her two children because she worried about him living alone. In a candid chat with OK! magazine in 2023, Natalie shared: "My dad was with us because his health started to deteriorate and I didn't want him to be living on his own any more. I decided to bite the bullet and find somewhere with an annexe, so that dad was still with us, but could also be independent and have his own space." As her father Charles faced an array of health issues in his later years, Natalie felt a deep intuition about his impending passing. The family subsequently transformed Charles's room into a recreational area, featuring games and toys for the children—a comforting tribute that continues to honour his memory as "grandad's" room. Off-screen, Natalie's life is far from quiet; amidst the buzz of new projects, she was thrilled to announce her forthcoming book last month. Titled Happy Days, it promises readers an intimate look at her journey juggling motherhood with her multifaceted career. Natalie opened up about her career aspirations on the Monday Mile podcast with Aimee Fuller, expressing a growing passion for presenting and comedy. Reflecting on her experiences with shows such as Would I Lie to You? and Motherland. She said: "I love acting but I do really like just being myself, I think possibly more so than the acting. I did Motherland a little while ago, which was fantastic, and I do love comedy so I would like to do more comedy at some point."
Daily Mirror
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
BBC EastEnders legend Natalie Cassidy hits out at bosses as final scene was cut
Natalie Cassidy left EastEnders earlier this year after 30 years in the role of Sonia Fowler but she says show bosses decided against airing an emotional goodbye to Phil Mitchell Soap icon Natalie Cassidy has opened up about her EastEnders exit - and she isn't satisfied by how BBC bosses handled her goodbye. The 41-year-old, known for her long-running character Sonia Fowler, bid farewell to the show earlier this year following an impressive three-decade stint on the Square. Fans recently witnessed Sonia's dramatic Walford exit via a speedboat, complete with her trademark trumpet in tow. But it wasn't the perfect goodbye. It appears the writers decided against showing an emotional scene between Sonia and Phil Mitchell, who bonded over the sudden death of Jamie, who died on Christmas Day in 2002 after being struck by a car driven by his rival Martin Fowler. Speaking on her Off The Telly podcast, which the soap great hosts with Joanna Page, Natalie said the scene was axed from her on-screen exit and she wasn't happy about She said: "I felt quite emotional but d'you know what? Maybe I've missed it because I wasn't watching it properly, but I feel like they cut out the scene, which was my favourite scene. "It was Sonia and Phil, and me and Phil just having a moment in the Square. I didn't see it. I might have to go back and have a look. I'd be really cross [if it was cut] because it was a really nice scene." Natalie added: "I've had loads of DMs and messages and stuff just saying how people have shed a tear, but a happy tear. It was nice and joyful, it wasn't sort of depressing, and [I] didn't leave in a black cab, it was just fun." After her exit from EastEnders, Natalie shared her desire to explore "other projects" but felt it "wasn't fair" to request time off from the producers for filming. Speaking to Bella magazine, she said: "I left because I felt the time was right to do so. I was ready for a change, after 32 years. "And EastEnders is a factory with 60 cast members and 300 staff so they can't cater for someone who says, 'By the way, I need two months off to do this, another three months off to do this'. It's not fair. It had to be a clean break so I could focus on other projects and spend time with my family, which I haven't been doing in recent months." Post-EastEnders life has been bustling for Natalie with several new ventures. The star excitedly broke the news last month about her upcoming book, Happy Days, which is set to give readers a glimpse into her experience balancing life as a mother. Natalie also took to the airwaves with a special segment on Virgin Radio. Chatting about her foray into radio with Joanna, Natalie replied: "It was really good. It was nerve-racking, but again, it's just another thing to tick off the list. A little bucket list of firsts, but it was good."
