Strictly star admits they felt 'fat-shamed' while taking part in show

ok.co.uk:

EastEnders favourite Natalie Cassidy hopened up about feeling 'fat-shamed' during her stint on Strictly Come Dancing.The star, known for her role as Sonia Fowler in the BBC drama, competed in the dance show back in 2009.

She danced alongside Italian pro Vincent Simone and impressively secured fifth place. However, reflecting on her experience, the 41 year old actress revealed she felt mocked for being asked to perform a lift typically executed by male contestants.

Speaking to The Sun a few years ago, she recalled: "I was about 4 stone bigger than I am now. Vincenzo was quite little. And I remember one week, it was like 'Oh, we're going to do this dance, but you're going to pick up Vincent.'" Reflecting on that moment, she said: "I think about it now and think, 'oh that was out of order.That was a bit out of order to me.' You couldn't do that now." Despite the past discomfort, Natalie wouldn't swap her Strictly days for anything and is even open to a repeat performance.

She gushed over the "glitz and glamour" of the show, calling it the "best job outside of EastEnders". "We had the best time and I loved it," she continued.