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EastEnders star Natalie Cassidy has opened up about a painful chapter from her school years, claiming she was bullied by pop sensation Paloma Faith when they were classmates in North London.
Speaking candidly on her podcast Life With Nat, the actress recalled her teenage years at Islington Green School, where she and the Only Love Can Hurt Like This singer both studied, with Paloma a year above.
Cassidy, who has played Sonia Fowler on EastEnders since 1993, revealed the surprising revelation during a recent episode of the podcast. Reflecting on her school days, she said: “Paloma Faith, she bullied me at school. She went to Islington Green and was in the year above me. We've spoken about it and she has said sorry about that. Gutted.”
Though Cassidy shared that an apology had since been made, the memory still seemed to sting. The two stars, both raised in North London, Natalie in Islington and Paloma in Hackney, have taken very different paths since their school days, with Cassidy finding fame through soap opera success and Faith carving out a career as one of the UK’s most distinctive pop stars.
Paloma Faith has previously spoken fondly of her time at Islington Green, which is now known as the City of London Academy Islington. Her own memories of school paint a very different picture.
“I had a really amazing experience,” she said in a past interview. “People were always criticising it but the teachers were just so brilliant. It was really creative, with really great art, music and dance departments. I really enjoyed it.”
The contrasting recollections have stirred up plenty of interest among fans, especially given the current focus on school bullying and mental health. While Cassidy’s comment seemed more reflective than resentful, it’s rare to hear a celebrity so openly name a famous former classmate in this kind of context.
The admission also shows a more vulnerable side to Cassidy, who has grown up in the public eye and is known for her down-to-earth nature and loyal EastEnders fanbase.
Though neither star has made a formal statement following the podcast’s release, Cassidy’s story is a reminder that even celebrities carry the scars of schoolyard experiences, and that apologies, however late, can still matter.
