NATALIE: "I love my new body"
Friday 11 January 2008
READ THE TRANSCRIPT FOR THE LIVE CLOSERONLINE WEBCHAT WE HAD WITH NATALIE CASSIDY on Tuesday 8 January 2008 HERE. SHE GAVE SOME AMAZING ADVICE AND TIPS TO AID WEIGHTLOSS AND STICK TO YOUR DIET.
Until recently Natalie Cassidy had accepted that she was known as “that fat bird off EastEnders.” But after shedding a whopping FOUR STONE and shrinking from a size 16 to a toned size 8, she’s thrilled with her show-stopping new body.
“Can you believe my waist now measures nearly the same as my thigh used to?” asks Natalie in disbelief.
Since leaving the hit soap in February, the actress has dropped 4st thanks to a new diet and fitness regime.
“I finally feel like a confident, sexy woman,” says the 24 year old. “Before, I’d go to award ceremonies and look at all the Corrie girls in their little dresses and think: ‘I’m never going to be able to wear one of those.’ So it’s great to be able to wear a short skirt and finally feel my age.”
Abuse about size
After joining the cast of EastEnders at the age of 10, Natalie, who played frumpy Sonia Fowler, became one of the soap’s best-loved characters but along with the perks of fame, the youngster found herself living out her adolescent years with her figure under constant scrutiny.
Natalie insists she shrugged off most of the criticism, however, she admits that people could be cruel.
“People would yell in the street: ‘It’s that fat bird off EastEnders.’ I just had to block it out.”
At her heaviest, Natalie weighed 12st. Occasionally the jibes about her weight would force her to diet – she’s tried everything from Atkins to WeightWatchers – but she admits her lifestyle was far from healthy.
Quitting EastEnders helped
Although she paid for a gym membership, Natalie was never motivated enough to make use of it. Besides, her soap contract banned any radical changes in her appearance.
But when she finished filming her final scenes a year ago, Natalie was keen to distance herself from the character: “I loved Sonia to pieces, but I wanted to reinvent myself,” she says.
With the help of a personal trainer, Natalie embarked on a daily fitness regime that forms the basis of her new DVD, Natalie Cassidy’s Then And Now Workout. “I did it in front of the telly five times a week,” says Natalie. “I’ve worked bloody hard.”
And it’s paid off – the 5ft 4 actress has gone from 12st to 8st 1lb.
Her sexy new figure flatters the boob job Natalie had three years ago: “It’s only now I feel my 36D bust suits my frame,” she says.
Diet and exercise
Natalie has also made radical changes to her diet. She still indulges her passion for cooking but opts for healthier options. However, she still allows herself some treats: “If I’m going out to dinner I’ll have a smoothie for breakfast and a light lunch, so I can drink wine,” she says.
As well as giving her more energy and confidence, Natalie’s makeover has also meant a sudden increase in male interest.
“I get wolf whistles,” she giggles. “I’ve had some lovely men come up and say: ‘You look fantastic.’”
And Natalie coyly admits one of those “lovely men” is now her boyfriend, actor Ben Porter,39 who she’s been dating for a few months: "It’s the first time I’ve been in love. We’ve spoken about marriage and babies.”
The star is now looking forward to building on her EastEnders success and hopes to establish herself as a character actress.
She says: “If you feel confident and happy, good things happen to you – and I think that’s where I am at the moment.”