EastEnders spoilers follow.

EastEnders star Natalie Cassidy has responded to Sonia Fowler’s shock murder charge in the BBC One soap.

Thursday’s (August 22) episode concluded with a shocking scene where Sonia was placed into police custody and taken to prison after being accused of killing Debbie Colwell.

During a prison visit, Sonia asked fiancé Reiss Colwell whether he’d killed his comatose wife but he denied it. In reality, viewers know Reiss murdered Debbie in cold blood to stop mounting care home bills.

Following this huge cliffhanger, Natalie Cassidy has described the murder charge as Sonia’s “worst nightmare come true”.

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“She absolutely cannot believe it, especially when Reiss has been let off because he has an alibi,” she explained. “I think it happens so quickly and in a flash that she’s just desperately scared about the baby and the impact this level of stress and trauma will have on a pregnancy that’s so fragile.

“That’s her main concern, losing her baby or having her baby and them taking it away, like what happened with Bex. She’s worried that history is going to repeat itself.”

Asked whether Sonia believes Reiss’s excuse, Natalie admitted: “Absolutely, 100%. She falls into Reiss’ arms and is petrified. This is the man she loves, and she needs him.

“She does ask Reiss, ‘Did you do anything?’ but that’s mainly for Jack’s benefit. When Reiss says no, she believes him and apologises for even asking.”

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The actor recalled feeling stunned when she read the scripts where Reiss allowed his pregnant wife-to-be to go down for a crime he’d committed.

“You are like, ‘Oh my god, he’s a psycho’,” she recalled. “It’s really shocking and dark; I look forward to seeing what happens next.”

As for whether anyone can save Sonia now, Natalie teased: “Who knows? But she’s got a lot of champions there on the Square…”