Natalie Cassidy shocked after Oasis legend Liam Gallagher yelled EastEnders reference to her
Former EastEnders star Natalie Cassidy has recalled a "very bizarre" encounter she had with Oasis star Liam Gallagher in the BBC canteen back in the 1990s when she was "about 12".
Liam Gallagher jokingly yelled "Where's your trumpet?" to Natalie Cassidy across the BBC canteen.
The EastEnders alum - who was "about 12 at the time" - was shocked that the legendary Oasis frontman recognised her and knew Natalie's BBC soap alter ego Sonia Jackson (later Fowler) played the instrument badly.
Natalie - who, with her co-stars, shared the canteen with singers as EastEnders and the music chart rundown show Top of the Pops were shot at Elstree Studios, North London, in the 1990s - recalled in the new issue of Heat magazine: "I'm a huge Oasis fan, so it was very bizarre.
"I was the only about 12 at the time. It wasn't about the trumpet, it was the fact that he knew who I was that was odd.
"It was the same when I met Take That or the Spice Girls, and they knew who I was. It was a very bizarre experience at 12 or 13. But then, EastEnders was so huge back then, wasn't it? The '90s were great."
Now and then, Natalie is asked about her trumpet, and she loves it.
Quizzed on how often people bring up the instrument when they interact with her, Natalie said: "It sort of dies off, and then every now and again, a lorry driver will shout, 'Where's the trumpet?'
"I love it. People say, 'You must be so bored of it now,' but I think it's funny. I did a This Morning interview, and they gave me a trumpet to play, then Good Morning Britain got one out and was over-egging it.
"People really like it, but if it's all the time, it will get boring, so I like to whip it out at the right time."
The Cooking with the Stars champion left EastEnders during the April 17 episode after playing National Health Service (NHS) nurse Sonia on and off for 32 years.
And Natalie - who is engaged to EastEnders cameraman Marc Humphreys - will not be watching the soap's Christmas Day special as it is broadcast because her family does not watch TV on the big day.
Natalie - who has daughter Joanie, nine, with Marc, and Eliza, 15, with her ex-fiance Adam Cottrell - added: "I record everything and watch it back when I want to. On Christmas Day, we're all in the kitchen with Alexa on, playing board games."
