Latest news with #SoniaJackson
The Sun
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
EastEnders' legend Natalie Cassidy looks unrecognisable after very glam glow up
EASTENDERS legend Natalie Cassidy looks worlds away from Sonia Jackson days after stunning makeover. Soap favourite Natalie Cassidy has left fans doing a double take after showing off a seriously glam new look. The actress, 42, ditched her usual casual style for a sleek new appearance, complete with flawless makeup, glossy hair and a chic outfit, while promoting her new book Happy Days with publisher Harper Collins. Known for playing trumpet-blowing nurse Sonia on the BBC soap since she was a teen, Natalie turned heads with her polished transformation. Taking to her Instagram stories, Natalie wowed in a black polka dot dress with a mesh hem, showing off her fun and feminine side. She's also switched up her signature brunette locks for a fresh blonde style, complete with voluminous, bouncy waves. Finishing off the look with bronzed cheeks, fluttery lashes and a nude lip, the soap star looked every inch the glam queen. This comes after the popular soap star took to her Instagram Stories for a fiery rant over the "terrible and made up" allegations. She screen-grabbed the article image and concerning headline, which read: "Natalie Cassidy Breaks Down as She Reveals Breast Cancer Diagnosis." It then allegedly featured a quote from the TV star which read: "I Didn't Want Anyone to Know..." She furiously wrote in her caption: "THIS IS DISGUSTING AND DISGRACEFUL. "So many people are going through this and I have had messages asking if I'm ok. EastEnders' Natalie Cassidy claims huge pop star used to BULLY her at school and reveals awkward confrontation "It is completely made up and a terrible story. "Take this down whoever you are." Meanwhile, Natalie and her co-host Joanna Page have been dealt a huge blow after the BBC failed to re-commission their podcast. The pair had teamed up for the audio show discussing all things on and off the box. Sonia Fowler's biggest EastEnders storylines Sonia Fowler has featured in EastEnders since 1993, and after starring in thousands of episodes, has been featured in storylines ranging from teenage pregnancy to a cancer scare. Here are some of her biggest. Teen Pregnancy and Birth of Chloe Jackson (1999-2000) Sonia discovered she was pregnant at the age of 15. Viewers were shocked by the sudden birth, as the teen went into labour without even realising she was pregnant. Martin Fowler turned out to be Chloe's father. Sonia initially decided to give the girl up for adoption. Death of her boyfriend (2002) Sonia's boyfriend, Jamie Mitchell, was hit by a car driven by her baby's father. Jamie had just bought an engagement ring for his girlfriend before being struck down by the thoughtless Martin, who was texting while driving. Although the Jamie was rushed to hospital, docs said his liver was irreparably damaged, and he ended up dying with Sonia by his side. Marriage to Martin Fowler and Family Tensions (2004-2007) In a shock twist Sonia went on to marry the man responsible for her previous boyfriend's death. Their relationship was marred by conflicts and infidelity, and they went on to split up after just three years. At one point in their marriage Sonia was taken hostage by Sarah Cairns, who became obsessed with Martin after he flirted with her during a drunken night out. The couple went through struggles again when the adoptive parents of their daughter were killed in a car crash, leaving them responsible for Rebecca. Because of the tension in their relationship Sonia ended up cheating on her husband with one of her co-workers, nurse Naomi Julien. Custody Battle for Rebecca (2005-2007) Baby Chloe, who was renamed Rebecca, was kidnapped by her mum early in life before being returned to her adoptive parents. After Neil and Sue Miller died they awarded Martin full custody of the child because of Sonia's extra-marital affair. The mum was left distraught to be cut out of her daughter's life. Gastric Band Surgery and Weight Struggles (2014-2015) Sonia became insecure about her weight and arranged to have a secret gastric band surgery in Bulgaria. She later collapsed at an exercise class after suffering complications from the operation. Discovery of Bex's Suicide Attempt (2019) Sonia's daughter Rebecca tried to take her own life in a heartbreaking storyline which left viewers in tears. She found Bex unconscious after taking an overdose, and was devastated. Sonia blamed herself for pushing her daughter to breaking point, as she had tried to force her into going to Oxford despite Bex saying she didn't feel ready for university. 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 and a 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 quit her EastEnders role as Sonia Fowler earlier this year, still has her own podcast, Life With Nat. 4 4
The Guardian
20-04-2025
- General
- The Guardian
How we let our babies down in 1974
UK parents, listen up: you're letting your babies down. So warn husband-and-wife team Brian Jackson, director of the Child Minding Research and Development Unit, and child psychologist Sonia Jackson, writing in the Observer Magazine on 22 September 1974. They kick off a three-part series on child development with a stern rebuke: we are failing our little nippers in the 'vital' preschool years, a time 'when so much of a child's intellectual development is won or lost'. Every bairn is a genius in nappies and we must recognise 'the mind-dizzying potentiality of our children'. That potential, the Jacksons argue, is being thwarted, owing to 'the immediate world into which the baby is born'. Babies may be programmed to learn, 'but in our society, and this is not a problem confined to poor or poorly educated families,' we are letting them down. There are, they decry, 'three cardinal ways in which early growth is delayed or restricted'. Top of the list, here in the UK, is 'Boring the baby.' Not so in 'many African or Asian villages', which may be 'much more dangerous' than in the UK, but at least they do not hold their infants back with 'the trappings of affluence' such as 'cots and prams'. Far worse is the way we make our babies sleep. This is a 'deadly restriction' and one that UK parents ignore. Why? Because a sleeping baby 'means a free adult'. The result? 'Every day, millions of babies spend endless, empty hours lying on their backs, unable to move their heads to vary their view – so they sleep for lack of alternatives.' The third cardinal offence is 'clocking them on', which is to say, treating a baby as an object, not a person, albeit a 'delicate, precious and loved' object. Squealers are wheeled about in 'trendy prams' or sport 'a prima donna's wardrobe'. The result? 'Babies in Britain are often worse off than in many of those poorer parts of the globe about which we think with pity.'
