EastEnders star Natalie Cassidy feels 'mum guilt all the time' as she balances work and home

Natalie Cassidy feels "mum guilt all the time".

The 'EastEnders' actress - who has played Sonia Fowler on the BBC soap since 1993 - has daughters Joanie, eight, with fiance Marc Humphries and Eliza, 13, from a previous relationship and she has urged people to talk more about the challenges of being a working mother.

She told OK! magazine: "I get mum guilt all the time - 100 percent. And I think that's why we need to talk about it more. I don't think you understand until you have children.

"People saying, 'Din't have children if you want a career' is ridiculous. It's an ignorant thing to say.

"We're not living in the 1950s, Dad doesn't go to work while mum stays at home. But we don't have the infrastructure to support families who need to work."

She insisted there needs to be a change in childcare for parents in the UK, and the 41-year-old star admitted she "often" finds it difficult balancing being a mother with her job.

She added: "I often feel the squeeze trying to juggle parenting with work - both the long summer holidays and return to school have their unique challenges, but the support of my colleagues makes a huge difference."

Natalie noted others might feel judged by "people in the office" if they have to leave early to "pick up a child" from school.

She said: "You've got the stigma of maybe people in the office saying, 'Why should shwe leave at 3pm to pick up a child and have half an hour out of work?'

"Well, actually, you might go on a lunch break that I don't take at 1pm each day."

At the end of July, it was reported Natalie will be taking a "short break" from 'EastEnders' for her new role exploring consumer producers on 'What's The Big Deal?' for More4.

Speaking about the project, she said: "I am looking forward to getting to ask questions we all want answers to, about must-have products.

“Like all of us, I love to try the latest things.

“But as a busy mum, what I really want to know is what lives up to the claims and what is the best deal."