Natalie Cassidy's 'rubbish' gold slippers buy inspired new Channel 4 show
'EastEnders' star Natalie Cassidy says not thinking "long enough" before buying some "rubbish" gold slippers inspired her new Channel 4 shopping documentary show 'What's the Big Deal?'.
Natalie Cassidy's "rubbish" gold slippers purchase inspired her new show 'What's the Big Deal?'.
The 'EastEnders' star, 41, is fronting the new Channel 4 shopping documentary, which explores consumer habits in 2025, and how some people buy items without checking if they are good quality - just like when she splashed out £80 on slippers that left her feeling disappointed.
She told Bella magazine: "I bought a pair of gold slippers online for £80, which, when they arrived, were rubbish.
"They looked awful, and I hated them.
"I didn't think long enough about buying the product before I clicked!
"Like everyone, I get sucked into things, which happens a lot around Christmas."
The show - which aims to make people think hard before they spend money on an item - marks the 41-year-old star's first TV presenting gig, and she has said it came "quite naturally" to her.
Natalie added: "Whether I am any good at it is another matter!
"I do feel an element of responsibility.
"We're not saying this product is rubbish or if it is brilliant, it's more about, 'Let's have a think before we click online at 3am and end up with something we really don't want.'
"It's about making sure we've really thought our purchases through."
The Sonia Fowler actress - who has two children, Joanie, eight, with her fiance Marc Humphreys, and Eliza, 14, with her ex-partner Adam Cottrell - is leaving Albert Square to spend more time with her family and "focus on other projects".
Admitting she was ready for change, the star admitted: "I adore 'EastEnders', but you can't do everything.
"And 'EastEnders' is a factory with 60 cast members and 300 staff, so they can't cater for someone who says, 'By the way, I need two months off to do this, I need another three months off to do this.' It's not fair.
"It had to be a clean break so I could focus on other projects and spend time with my family, which I haven't been doing enough of in recent months."
'What's the Big Deal' airs from April 4 on Channel 4.
