EastEnders' Natalie Cassidy has had a baby girl - and took to Twitter to share her wonderful news

EastEnders actress Natalie Cassidy has welcomed her second baby, a girl, into the world.

Natalie, who plays Sonia Fowler in the BBC soap, shared a photo of her new addition and family on Twitter.

She and fiance Marc Humphreys, a cameraman, are seen posing in the photograph with Natalie’s daughter, Eliza, from her previous relationship with Adam Cottrell.

Congratulatory messages from fellow celebs and fans were not in short supply:

EastEnders actress Natalie Cassidy is expecting her second child – and her first with fiancé Marc Humphreys.

The 32-year-old actress made the announcement on Twitter and said the baby is due in the summer.

Natalie Cassidy (Anthony Devlin/PA Wire)

She wrote: “Evening all… Time to let everybody know that @cameramarc and I are having a baby in the summer. The three musketeers become four.”

Natalie has a five-year-old daughter called Eliza from a previous relationship.

As well as starring in reality show Natalie Cassidy: Becoming Mum on Channel 4, she has released a top-selling fitness DVD and has appeared on Celebrity Big Brother.

Natalie is currently on TV in EastEnders as Sonia Fowler, who is in a relationship with Tina Carter (Luisa Bradshaw-White).

Her pregnancy will mean an exit for Sonia… Whether or not that's permanent – and with or without Tina – remains to be seen.

The bare cheek of it! The EastEnders cast have stripped down to their essentials on screen and off in aid of this year's BBC Children in Need and you can enjoy them allyear round in a 2015 calendar on sale for the charity.

Inspired by a recent storyline, the calendar will feature a host of Walford’s famous faces, along with some equally famous arms, legs and torsos as the cast embrace the cheeky calendar spirit.

Sonia bares her heart as the Valentine pin-up for February, while Peter Beale represents the boys – and the pickled eggs – flexing in the chippy as May’s poster-boy...

Meanwhile, Whitney and Lauren make the most of the summer, beaming from behind a lilo for August’s image!

In the soap, Sonia and Kush have been rallying their local Fat Blasters to ditch the clothes for the charity calendar and, subsequently, EastEnders execs decided to make the plans a reality.

EastEnders executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins commented: "When we developed our calendar storyline featuring so many of Albert Square's residents as viewers have never seen them before, it seemed such a shame not to share the fun with our audience. It's been a long time since EastEnders released a calendar - and this is the perfect opportunity for EastEnders fans to get hold of something a little bit special while raising money for such a worthwhile cause."

Natalie Cassidy (Sonia) said; “Everybody who took part in the calendar had a blast, and everyone should have a cheesy EastEnders calendar on their wall for 2015 - go and buy one because it's brilliant, AND you're raising money for a wonderful cause”.

Available now from the bbcchildreninneedshop.co.uk and Welcome Break stores across the UK, the calendar costs £10, with a minimum of £5 donated to BBC Children in Need.

EastEnders' Natalie Cassidy has told whatsontv.co.uk that she believes the show recently went through a difficult time.

Speaking to us at the British Soap Awards the actress, who plays Sonia Fowler in the BBC soap, added that the addition of executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins had meant "you can see a change in the show".

On returning to Albert Square after seven years, Cassidy said: "I feel so happy and grateful. It's the best place in the world to work.

"I think i've just grown as a person, and I'm a mum now so you go back with lots of different experience, which is great."

EastEnders star Natalie Cassidy says she was “naive” about her character Sonia’s earlier lesbian storyline, but is happier with Sonia’s latest liaison with a woman.

Viewers might have got a shock when sensible Sonia locked lips with Tina Carter in a recent episode.

But Natalie is quick to remind people that Sonia has dabbled with the fairer sex before.

“I don't know where [the storyline’s] going but, at the time, it felt right for Sonia to do that. Sonia’s dabbled with women in the past,” Natalie, 30, said on BBC Breakfast.

Back in 2005, Sonia shared a kiss with nurse Naomi Julien, a storyline that Natalie wasn’t totally happy with.

“When I was younger, I think I was a little naive. As an actress and as the character I thought, ‘Well, actually, I’m not sure if Sonia would do this’,” she said.

“Now, because I’ve had that past and I’ve got that background, that’s why this [storyline] works.”

Mum-of-one Natalie returned to EastEnders as Sonia this year, after her screen mother Carol Jackson was diagnosed with breast cancer.

The actress first appeared as trumpet-playing Sonia in 1993, left in 2007, and then made brief appearances in 2010 and 2011, before her recent return.

Natalie praised BBC1 for the soap’s strong storylines, including the recent murder of Lucy Beale, reports the Mirror newspaper.

“I think the show’s really good at the moment. There’s a lot of excitement surrounding the show - that’s how it should be. EastEnders should be like that and people are talking about it again. It’s an exciting place to be,” she said.

Natalie Cassidy has returned to EastEnders as Sonia Jackson to be part of a very emotional storyline… And Natalie was full of praise for Lindsey Coulson, the actresss at the centre of the story, when she appeared on the Lorraine show.

"Lindsey is the best actress that EastEnders has got," said Natalie.

‘I'm not being biased because she plays my mum but I think she's absolutely incredible and they picked the best person for the role. Hopefully myself and Patsy [Palmer - Bianca] can support her."

Natalie added that she felt a responsibility to do a good job: "Cancer touches everybody you talk to; everyone knows someone who has some form of cancer. I've had a family member with cancer, and a dear dear friend had breast cancer."

Natalie also talked about what it was like returning to the soap.

"It's just like coming home," she said. "And I'm very grateful to be back."

EastEnders' Carol Jackson is set to bring daughter Sonia Fowler back to Albert Square when she confides in her about her illness.

Carol (Lindsey Coulson) goes to visit daughter Sonia (Natalie Cassidy) at her house and tells her that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer - closely followed by Bianca (Patsy Palmer), who turns up not long afterwards.

Sitting with her daughters, Carol insists that she is coping well with the news, but when Sonia's daughter Rebecca starts playing the guitar for them, she breaks down in tears.

Natalie left her role as a regular cast member in EastEnders in 2007 and has made two brief appearances since, but recently said she was excited to be back.

She said: "After seven years being out of the show, apart from the odd episode, I am extremely excited and honoured to be making a full-time return.

"I feel so lucky as an actress to get back to my roots. With Dominic [Treadwell-Collins] as executive producer, it's such an exciting time for the show. I cannot wait to work with Patsy and Lindsey again. Bring it on!"

The scenes at Sonia's house are due to screen on EastEnders on Wednesday, January 15.

Natalie Cassidy is making a full comeback to EastEnders, seven years after she moved out of Walford.

The 30-year-old actress will reprise her role as Sonia Fowler when she returns to Albert Square in January next year.

Natalie has made occasional guest appearances in EastEnders - most recently in January 2011 - but is now to make a full-time return, accompanied by her character's daughter Rebecca.

The BBC said she will be involved in a 'gripping storyline' which centres on the women of the Butcher household.

She is the latest addition to the cast under new executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins, who has recently recruited Danny Dyer as the new landlord of the Queen Vic.

Natalie, who made her first appearance on EastEnders almost 20 years ago, said: "After seven years being out of the show, apart from the odd episode, I am extremely excited and honoured to be making a full-time return.

"I feel so lucky as an actress to get back to my roots. With Dominic as executive producer, it's such an exciting time for the show. I cannot wait to work with Patsy (Palmer who plays Sonia's sister Bianca Butcher) and Lindsey (Coulson who plays Sonia's mum Carol Jackson) again. Bring it on."

Viewers saw Sonia at the centre of numerous dramas over the years. She gave birth to Rebecca after failing to realise she was pregnant, and then put her up for adoption.

She and the baby's father, Martin Fowler, then regained custody and headed to Manchester, but she has popped back to the show to reveal how their relationship has been on the rocks.

In her time away from EastEnders, Natalie has appeared on Celebrity Big Brother and has been the face of the Health Lottery on Channel 5.

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Actress Natalie Cassidy has revealed she is back together with ex-boyfriend Adam Cottrell - whom she split from following a violent row.

The former EastEnders star and reality show contestant revealed that they are engaged - but plan to try for a brother or sister for their two-year-old daughter Eliza before tying the knot.

And she admitted that while he had behaved appallingly towards her, her own conduct was just as bad.

"Adam's behaviour was unacceptable, but so was mine," she told the Mirror. "I can see that now.

"I often lashed out at him when arguments weren't going my way. I would hit him or slap him out of frustratuion and anger."

“For a long time he never reacted but I pushed and pushed and eventually he pushed back. I can only see that now.

She added: “After he snapped I was so consumed with shock, anger and hate. I was focused on being the victim.

"I couldn’t see how I had contributed to what he did. In hindsight there’s no getting away from it... I was to blame too.”

Natalie also revealed that Adam - a former heavy drinker - had also given up alcohol, and that they found other ways to settle their differences.

"If we find ourselves starting to argue, we stop before it escalates to a point of physical violence," she said.

"I know it's hard for some people to understand but we have worked hard at our relationship and I am so proud of how far we've come."