The EastEnders actress, aged 42, surprised her fans in June when she revealed struggles during her school years, accusing her well-known classmate Paloma Faith of bullying her. Recently, Natalie renewed the dispute by firmly standing by her claims.
In response, Paloma Faith stated she experienced bullying herself, sharing her own distressing school memories, which surfaced days following Natalie's allegations. Despite this, Natalie maintained her position about being targeted.
On Katherine Ryan's podcast, What's My Age Again, Natalie explained that children at her school envied her for starring in EastEnders, a role she landed at just 10 years old. She described the show’s set as her refuge from the difficulties she faced at school.
"There wasn't anywhere else I wanted to be. Maybe because when I wasn't there, school was difficult, people were jealous."
"You know, there was bullying that went on. So I always just wanted to be there because it was so fun and I was surrounded by nice people."
Natalie Cassidy reaffirmed her experience of school bullying fueled by peer jealousy linked to her EastEnders role, while Paloma Faith shared her own accounts of victimization, highlighting complex personal histories.
Author's note: The exchange between Natalie Cassidy and Paloma Faith reveals contrasting yet overlapping experiences of bullying linked to their youth and careers in entertainment.