EASTENDERS star Natalie Cassidy asserts that her experience creating a fitness DVD, which earned her £100,000 for losing four stone, has left her feeling “damaged.”
The actress, who has portrayed a beloved character in the soap for 32 years, was presented with a substantial paycheck to produce two
Natalie Cassidy shared her feelings about how her weight loss DVD ‘damaged’ her
Natalie discussed her experiences on Giovanna Fletcher’s Happy Mum Happy Baby podcast
Natalie was offered a generous payment to release two weight loss DVDs in 2007
Natalie told host Giovanna, pictured, that it’s a ‘scary’ world when we constantly think about our appearance
During her appearance on the Happy Mum Happy Baby podcast , 40-year-old Natalie opened up about the negative impact it had on her.
Host Giovanna remarked: “I know that in the years to come, you reach a stage where you feel completely comfortable in your body.”
Natalie, who has been promoting her new book , responded: “I am, but I believe it damaged me doing that.
“I still look in the mirror and think, ‘Oh, I could be this, I could be that.’
“But I think that’s just how we are today.
“It’s what we constantly see as women and men, but particularly as women, it’s a frightening world when we’re always considering how we look.”
The soap actress reflected on her decision to participate in the DVD during a vulnerable period in her life and expressed regret over that choice.
She shared: “I lost my mum at 19, so all the weight issues were occurring during that time.
“I made foolish decisions without the right guidance.
“It was a silly thing to do, but when someone offers ‘here’s £100,000 to lose some weight?’ I thought, ‘Yes, I’ll take that’.”
Natalie mentioned that losing weight for the DVD ultimately left her feeling “worse off” with her body.
She explained: “It took a turn for the worse; I gained a lot of weight back very quickly, possibly even more than before.
“I think I just overate, and at one point, I started using laxatives.
“I wouldn’t claim to have had an eating disorder; I consider myself fortunate in that regard, but I wonder where I would be if I had continued with laxatives and similar behaviors.”
Natalie stated that raising her daughters, Eliza, 14, and Joanie, eight, helped her break free from that cycle.
She said: “I think because you realize you’re not the center of everything. Once you have kids, your focus shifts entirely. You worry about their well-being, their meals, what they wear, and their sleep. That concern for myself faded into the background.”
Natalie, who plays Sonia in EastEnders, recounted how she was offered the DVD during a time of making ‘silly decisions’
DIET PILL RUMORS
However, scrutiny regarding her weight has persisted over the years.
Just last year, Natalie, who has been in a relationship with her BBC cameraman fiancé, Marc Humphrey, since 2014, was pressured to lose weight.
Her fans were targeted by online scams, prompting the actress to clarify on social media that her recent weight loss was achieved by eliminating treats from her diet.
Natalie previously told The Sun: “I eliminated junk food. I also reduced my intake of alcohol, even though I enjoy white wine.”
“Alcohol contains many hidden calories, which accumulate in a person’s daily intake.”
