EastEnders stars Natalie Cassidy and Jack Ryder have reunited more than two decades after playing doomed love insterests Sonia Jackson and Jamie Mitchell on the BBC soap
Over two decades after they were last on screen together, EastEnders stars Natalie Cassidy and Jack Ryder have reunited publicly for the first time.
The stars played on-off love interests Sonia Jackson and Jamie Mitchell in the BBC soap. Their final scene, which aired on Christmas Day 2002, was watched by 16 million viewers. In it, Jamie succumbed to his injuries after being hit by a car driven by rival Martin Fowler (James Alexandrou), dying in Sonia’s arms shortly after professing his love for her.
Natalie and Jack have not been seen together since that fateful scene, but have now reunited as part of a campaign with National Rail, where the two caught up with each other throughout a train ride.
The former TV sweethearts said their unexpected reunion by train highlighted just how easy it is for life to get in the way of meaningful catch ups with the people who matter most.
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Natalie said: “We’re all guilty of saying we’ll ‘properly catch up soon’, only for weeks, months or even years to pass by. Even when we do meet up, it’s easy to get distracted or end up having the same surface-level conversations without really finding out how someone is doing.
“It’s been more than 20 years since Jack and I last saw each other, so sitting down together again felt really special. A train journey gave us the uninterrupted time and space to properly talk, reflect on old memories and share what we’ve both been through since we last met. It was a reminder of how important it is to make time for the people who matter most.”
She and Jack have teamed up with National Rail to launch the inaugural ‘Proper Catch-Up Carriage’ and conversation dice to get people talking. The dice are designed to help friends and family spark more meaningful conversations while travelling together. It comes after a poll found 49 per cent of adults struggle to talk honestly about how they are feeling with loved ones.
Jack added: “Seeing Natalie again brought back so many memories. It felt like being transported straight back to those early days of working together, but at the same time we had more than 20 years of life to catch up on.
“Life gets busy and before you know it, too much time has passed since you’ve had a proper conversation with someone you care about. Train journeys give you the chance to step away from the usual distractions, spend time together and really reconnect with the person you’re travelling with.
“The dice helped us get beyond the usual small talk and into the sort of conversations you don’t always make time for or know how to start. It was a really special experience, and we’ll make sure it’s not as long before the next one.”
After Jack left EastEnders, Natalie remained on the show for a further 23 years on and off. Her final episode was in 2025, when her character left alongside her sister Bianca (Patsy Palmer) and both her daughters to start a new life in Bali. This came after her ex Reiss Colwell (Johnny Freeman) framed her for murder and kept Bianca hostage when she tried to prove Sonia’s innocence.
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