EastEnders icon Natalie Cassidy has discussed her career and revealed that she had never watched the BBC soap before getting the role of Sonia Jackson in the early 1990s

Natalie Cassidy, star of EastEnders, has confessed that she had never seen the show before landing the role of Sonia Jackson in the early 90s.

The surprising admission came during her appearance on the Comfort Eating with Grace Dent podcast, where she discussed her career journey.

She explained that her family were more inclined towards ITV’s Coronation Street than the BBC classic, hence why she’d never watched EastEnders.

“We didn’t watch EastEnders, we watched Coronation Street in our house. Never watched EastEnders. My Dad didn’t like it. My mum didn’t really, it was Corrie.” Natalie also shared how she always felt she possessed an “old soul” and was quite mature for her age.

She explained: “I was like an adult at 10. I’ve always had a very old soul. I’ve always surrounded myself by older people, spoken to older people. I would go round a mate’s house, they’d go to bed and I’d sit with the mum. I’d be mates with all the mums more than the kids.”

This isn’t the first time Natalie has opened up about personal aspects of her life. Earlier this year, she made a candid admission about her personal hygiene on Loose Women.

She confessed to being a fan of bidets, leaving the panel taken aback by her unexpected stance on the matter.

Natalie revealed: “I like a bidet, it reminds me of my family bathroom when I was little. mum and dad’s bathroom, there was always a little bidet in there.”

“I haven’t got a bidet now but I do sometimes, on a warm day when I haven’t got time for a shower, fill up the sink and have a flannel wash.”

Natalie Cassidy also touched on the fact that she believes she had an “old soul” ( 
Image:
Hoda Davaine/Dave Benett/Getty I)

Natalie’s confession about both the bidet and the flannel wash sparked some controversy on social media, with one user criticising the star.

They posted: “By the time you have messed about having a ‘flannel wash’ you could have jumped in the shower. Flannel washes are such an old-fashioned thing to do.”

Another chimed in: “Flannel wash, very Victorian hygiene trait. A shower is far more hygienic (top to feet), and quicker.”