EastEnders star Natalie Cassidy defended her best pal Patsy Palmer who meant 'no malice' when she awkwardly asked Michael Fabricant about his wig on Celebrity Big Brother on Thursday.
The 41-year-old, who has worked alongside Patsy in the BBC soap for many years, appeared on Loose Women as part of a soap special alongside Denise Welch, Sally Dynevor, 61, and Nadia Sawalha, 60.
The panel started chatting about the awkward moment when Patsy quizzed the former politician about his hair piece during the most recent episode of the ITV show.
Sticking up for her friend, Natalie said on Loose Women: 'I know Patsy so well with all my heart.
'She’s very open and very honest. I think there was no malice in it at all. She came out and asked a question everyone wanted to ask.'
EastEnders star Natalie Cassidy defended her best pal Patsy Palmeron Loose Women on Friday and said she meant 'no malice' when she asked Michael Fabricant about his wig
Patsy (pictured right) quizzed politician (left) about his hair piece during the most recent episode of the ITV show
Natalie plays Patsy Palmer's alter-ego Bianca Jackson's half-sister Sonia Fowler on BBC soap EastEnders
The star joined EastEnders when she was just 10 years old in 1993, but recently revealed she was leaving Walford.
Meanwhile Patsy has starred on the soap on/off since 1993.
She has played Bianca between 1993 and 1999, which was followed by another stint between 2008 and 2014, and then she reprised her role again in 2024 for a year.
On Thursday night Michael addressed why he wears a wig after Patsy asked him: 'Michael is there a reason that you wear that? That you wear a wig?'
He replied: 'I just have always had long blonde hair so I just feel comfortable.'
'Yeah, so not because you are bald or?...'
Patsy continued to probe, to which Michael said: 'No not particularly no, just because I'm... I don't particularly like talking about it but it's just how I want to be. It's part of me.'
On Thursday night's CBB, Michael addressed why he wears a wig after Patsy asked him: ' Michael is there a reason that you wear that? That you wear a wig?'
Michael wasn't impressed with the question and decided to put her up for nomination.
In the diary room, he said: 'I really have found it very hard but I'm going to nominate Patsy.
She asked me something about "Why do I wear a wig?" and you know, I'm not saying it is a wig, actually, but what I am saying is I found it slightly awkward being asked about it.
'I just don't like my hair being raised. People have, you know, sensitivities and that's my sensitivity.
'Look, we're all human. I'm more human than most.'
Nadia said of Patsy's comment: 'It's a bit like that childlike thing when you just say what you see.
'She probably hasn't got a clue.
'She hasn't lived here for ages!'
Denise added: 'She's lived out the country. A lot of people don't know Michael Fabricant that well.
'But what he does wear on his head is quite well known in this country...
'Would you have asked it Sal?'
Corrie favourite Sally, who was diganosed with cancer in 2009, said: 'I think maybe it might have been better to just get him to one side and say "Why are you wearing a wig?" instead of telling everybody...'
Denise pointed out: 'The trouble is sometimes you can't hide from the microphones!'
She continued: 'It's not a difficult decision, but I know when I had my cancer treatment and I came back to Corrie and I was asked to wear a wig, it's quite a difficult thing.
'When I was going through the chemo, it was like "Do you want a wig?"
'I just didn't because everyone would go "She's wearing a wig".'
Denise decided to wrap up with discussion by saying: 'I think the thing with Michael Fabricant's wig is...
'With the greatest of respect, if you don't want people to know you're wearing a wig... get a better one!'
Loose Women airs weekdays from 12:30pm on ITV.
