Sonia Fowler

Sonia Fowler (also Jackson) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Natalie Cassidy. Her first appearance was on and she departed on She returned briefly in 2010 along with other members of the Jackson family, and re-appeared in the soap from and again in January 2011. Sonia returned as a permanent character on , as part of a storyline that saw her mother Carol Jackson (Lindsey Coulson) develop breast cancer. Cassidy took maternity leave in 2016 and Sonia left on 20 September 2016 for her dream job in Kettering. Cassidy made two guest stints during her maternity leave, on 25 December 2016 via webcam and for a three episode arc from 14 to 18 April 2017. She returned full-time on 27 June 2017. On 29 December 2020, it was announced that Cassidy would take an extended break from the show, with Sonia set to leave the Square to return in spring 2021. She departed on 8 January and returned on 16 April. In 2024, Cassidy took another break from the serial, with Sonia departing on 22 August 2024 and returning on 13 January 2025. The same month, on 30 January, it was announced that Cassidy had quit the role once again; she departed on 17 April of the same year.

Sonia has been featured in storylines including affairs, feuds, bereavements, family problems, teenage pregnancy and a cancer scare. In 2000, Sonia discovers that she is pregnant at 15 and gives birth to a daughter, Bex Fowler (Jasmine Armfield), whom she puts up for adoption. She begins a relationship with Jamie Mitchell (Jack Ryder) who is later killed on Christmas Day 2002. Sonia is better known for her problematic marriage with Bex’s father Martin Fowler (James Alexandrou/James Bye), which ends in 2006 when Sonia begins an affair with Naomi Julien (Petra Letang). The pair eventually reconcile for Bex; however, Sonia develops a feud with Martin's mother, Pauline Fowler (Wendy Richard), which ends when Pauline is murdered. Sonia is originally arrested for her murder, but it transpires that Pauline's husband, Joe Macer (Ray Brooks), is her killer.

Since her return in 2014, Sonia's storyline has included divorcing Martin, coming out as bisexual, a cancer scare, an on-off feud with Martin’s wife Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner), relationships with Tina Carter (Luisa Bradshaw-White) and Bex's teacher Gethin Pryce (Cerith Flinn), supporting Bex through her attempted suicide, briefly reconciling with Martin and stealing money from Dot Cotton (June Brown) to help pay off Martin's hit-and-run victim who had been blackmailing her. In 2021, Sonia is led to believe that she has reunited with her father Terry, whom she never knew. However, this is revealed to be a lie as the man posing as her father is actually Tom "Rocky" Cotton (Brian Conley) intending to scam her. Sonia later enters into a relationship with Dot's great-nephew Reiss Colwell (Jonny Freeman) who she discovers is married, but they decide to try for a baby via IVF. Later, Sonia is wrongly charged with the murder of Reiss' comatose wife, Debbie Colwell (Jenny Meier) but she is unaware that the culprit is actually Reiss. This, combined with Martin's death during the 40th anniversary and finally meeting her real father, Terry Cant (Glen Davies), results in her second departure from the show, choosing to go travelling with Bianca and Bex. Provided by Wikipedia