EastEnders star Natalie Cassidy has revealed she stepped away from acting to train as a carer after being inspired by looking after her late father in his final years.
The actress, best known for playing Sonia Fowler on the long-running BBC soap, opened up about the emotional experience in her new programme, Natalie Cassidy: Caring Together.
She shared a personal account of her father's death in 2021, saying: 'The final moments were breathtakingly hard but quite incredible really. I just remember holding his hand and stroking his arm, and saying, "It's OK, you can go now, we're all good, you've done your job."' The 42-year-old explained that caring for her dad at the end of his life inspired her to retrain.
Natalie shared: 'Caring for Dad right up until the end of his life, and losing him, was one of the most painful things I've ever had to do. But the people I met have changed my life and are so inspirational. That's what spurred me on to do this.'
As part of the BBC series, Natalie returned to education for the first time since leaving school at 16, to study for a Level 3 BTEC in health and social care. Her training included placements at a care home, St John Ambulance, and a childhood diabetes unit, while she also learned about dementia, autism, and first aid.
The actress explained that care played a large part in her family life growing up, as her mother cared for her grandmother when she was younger. When her father became seriously ill, Natalie and her family moved into a home with an annexe so he could maintain some independence while receiving support from both Natalie and his carer, Linda.
The actress expressed gratitude for Linda, sharing: 'She made it possible for me to go to work. And Linda was there at the very end, the end moments of Dad's life. I couldn't have done it without her, because it's a very, very scary thing to do.'
While filming her BBC show, Natalie met unpaid carers and healthcare workers across the country, and admitted she was blown away by the compassion shown by young people training to enter the profession. She studied alongside teenagers hoping to become paramedics and carers at college, and said she was amazed by the 'empathy of these 17- and 18-year-olds'.
Natalie recently stepped away from EastEnders after more than three decades on Albert Square, a move she recently called 'freeing', as it has enabled her to explore new opportunities like care work and the possibility of learning stand-up comedy.
Natalie Cassidy: Caring Together airs on Monday, May 25 on BBC One.
