Natalie Cassidy is to take a "short break" from 'EastEnders'.

Natalie Cassidy is to take a short break from EastEnders

Natalie Cassidy is to take a short break from EastEnders

The 41-year-old actress initially played Sonia Fowler on the BBC soap opera from 1993 until 2007 and returned full-time in 2014 but will temporarily exit the serial as she prepares to explore consumer products on 'What’s The Big Deal? for More4

A source told The Sun newspaper's TVBiz column: "Natalie will be taking a short break, just like many of her co-stars do when they have another project.

"Bosses always try to let stars spread their wings and if they can make it work with the often punishing soap schedule, then they’ll do it.

“Natalie’s really excited to tackle the project for Channel 4. This is another string to her bow."

The former 'Strictly Come Dancing' contestant - who has Joanie, seven, with her fiance Marc Humphries and 12-year-old Eliza from a previous relationship will be testing out the products with participating families and is looking forward to helping viewers find the "best deal" for them,

She said: "I am looking forward to getting to ask questions we all want answers to, about must-have products.

“Like all of us, I love to try the latest things.

“But as a busy mum, what I really want to know is what lives up to the claims and what is the best deal."

It is expected that the four-part series will air on More4 later this year.

Earlier this year, Natalie launched a podcast titled 'Off the Telly' with 'Gavin and Stacey' star Joanna Page.

Speaking to BANG Showbiz, Natalie said: "I had been chatting to BBC Sounds for quite a while, about six months or so. It was BBC Sounds idea to do a TV review kind of show which is for the masses, 'Gogglebox' style, you watch the telly and have a chat about it.

"We were going backwards and forwards with different ideas of who I could do it with and I was a guest on 'Loose Women' and Joanna was one of the Loose Women. I had never met her before and we did the show and had a good chat and a nag about the kids and what have you and we just really hit it off. So I just slipped her name in and said, ‘I think Joanna Page would be excellent.’ We did a pilot and here we are.”

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