Natalie struggled with the condition for years

Natalie Cassidy, who is appearing on Cooking with the Stars tonight (Sunday, September 7), once opened up about a health condition she branded “ridiculous”.

The star, 42, best known for her role as Sonia Fowler in EastEnders, spoke about the condition earlier this year.

Natalie suffers from hay fever and it can be debilitating (Credit: ITV)

Natalie Cassidy on ‘ridiculous’ health condition

Writing in her column for The i back in May, Natalie opened up about the impact the UK’s high pollen count at the time was having on her.

The star suffers from hayfever and was plagued by the uncomfortable symptoms of the allergy. Symptoms of hayfever can include sneezing, itchy and watery eyes, and a scratchy throat.

Around 16 million Brits suffer from hay fever, which is one in four people.

“As I sit and write, I can hardly see. The pollen is taking a ridiculous toll on my nose. I’ve been at my sister-in-law’s baby shower all day,” the actor wrote.

Natalie Cassidy on the impact of hay fever

The star, who competed on Strictly Come Dancing back in 2009, continued, admitting that she wasn’t letting the allergy dampen her spirits.

“I am 42 years of age, and I am extremely happy. I used to worry about my scone intake or my hay fever-y, swollen eyes. I would have thought about what to wear for the baby shower a few days before, trying on numerous outfits. I would have been stressed about the traffic and how long it would take me to get to Kent,” she said.

‘I found what really made me happy’

“I’ve been in the public eye since the age of 10. By 14, I was having pink-top mags crossing or ticking my outfits. I tried every fad diet out there and yo-yo dieted up until my mid-thirties. Then I found what really made me happy: everything in moderation and not sweating the small stuff,” she then added.