EastEnders legend Natalie Cassidy has two new roles AXED since leaving soap

Natalie Cassidy has had two of her new shows axed within six months of leaving EastEnders.

The actress, who played Sonia Fowler in the soap, told fans her consumer series What’s The Big Deal? is unlikely to be renewed after failing to impress on Channel 4. Her BBC podcast co-hosted with Gavin & Stacey’s Joanna Page has also come to an abrupt end.

Speaking in relation to the future of What’s The Big Deal?, Natalie, 42, said: "I don’t think it went down very well, if I’m honest. I don’t think it will come back. At the moment there is no talk of it. But I loved it and it was a great experience for me to do."

The Channel 4 programme saw Natalie, a mother of two, test popular products to see if they lived up to the hype, in what was her first big job away from acting. On the podcast, called Off The Telly, Natalie discussed all things TV with Joanna, famed for playing Stacey in the popular sitcom.

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Natalie had tried the new projects after playing Sonia on and off for 32 years in EastEnders. The iconic character departed in April with her two daughters following dramatic storylines, including the grief of Martin Fowler, father to her daughter Bex, who diedin the tragic 40th anniversary Queen Vic explosion.

But the new avenues have presented challenges for Natalie, who told fans a literary festival in Somerset the BBC had second thoughts about the podcast. She said: "We had a laugh doing it and it is a shame the pod ended. I don’t think it will be back.

"With the BBC sometimes, what happens is, through no fault of their own, they love exploring new stuff and they do chop and change. If something isn’t massively, massively popular, then they will just get rid and try new material. That is kind of what the BBC is for. The money is from you guys, so they do need to change things and make things new."

The star was at the event to promote her new book Happy Days, which is about her life on and off screen. In it, she reflects on her long tenure at EastEnders, which began in 1993 when Natalie was just 10. As a child, she won the Best Dramatic Performance from a Young Actor or Actress gong at the British Soap Awards in 2004, and enjoyed 21 more years portraying Sonia.

The character had a problematic marriage with Martin, which ended in 2006 when Sonia began an affair with Naomi Julien. They reconciled and Sonia was devastated when he died in February this year.