EastEnders legend Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy) has grown up on screen since she made her Walford debut as a cheeky trumpet-playing teen in 1993.
Sonia has been involved in an array of major storylines throughout her years on the soap, with her most recent one being her IVF journey with boyfriend Reiss Colwell (Jonny Freeman).
With the kind-hearted nurse always on hand to support the Walford residents with their problems, it may come as a surprise that she went to prison.
Recently, Reiss was stunned when Sonia confessed that she went to prison for murder in the past.
So, why did Sonia go to prison in EastEnders? If you're wanting to refresh your mind about the forgotten storyline, you can find out below...
Why did Sonia go to prison in EastEnders?
In 2007, Sonia was arrested and sent to prison for the murder of her mother-in-law Pauline Fowler (Wendy Richard).
Sonia developed a feud with Pauline after she struggled to cope with her interference during her marriage to Martin Fowler (then played by James Alexandrou).
Sonia slapped Pauline during a confrontation and she was found dead later that day. Terrified that she caused her death, Sonia discovered that her daughter Bex Fowler (then played by Jade Sharif) saw the slap and tried to keep her quiet.
However, Bex told Dot Cotton (June Brown) about the slap at Pauline's funeral and Sonia went on the run with her daughter.
It was soon revealed that Sonia was not responsible for her murder and it was actually Pauline's husband, Joe Macer (Ray Brooks) who killed her after he hit her over the head with a frying pan.
Who did Sonia murder in EastEnders?
Sonia thought she had murdered Pauline Fowler, but was eventually cleared of suspicion after it transpired that she had been killed by her husband, Joe Macer.
Pauline was found dead in the snow on Christmas Day 2006, next to her husband Arthur's bench. She tragically died from a brain haemorrhage caused by a head injury when Joe struck her with a frying pan.
EastEnders airs Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings at 7.30 pm on BBC One — see our TV Guide for full listings. You can also catch up on episodes on BBC iPlayer now.
