An EastEnders star has detailed her world being ‘rocked’ after suffering a stroke.
From 2007 until 2021, Cheryl Fergison played Heather Trott on the BBC soap opera EastEnders.
However, in the years since her character was killed off, she’s been suffering significant financial woes and been forced to turn to food banks for assistance.
Now the 59-year-old actress has also spoken about recent health scare she was faced with too.
‘I would say it was probably one of the lowest times in my life,’ she said of suffering a stroke in May.
‘One of the hardest things is to process what it does to you. One minute you’re walking, talking, going to the shops; the next your world is rocked. It’s shocking.
Speaking to The Mirror, Cheryl explained she was sitting at home watching TV when she started experiencing a ‘really bad headache at the back of my head’.
After then waking up in the middle of the night, one side of her body felt ‘numb, heavy and tingly’.
After calling her son Alex for help, he recognised the symptoms and called an ambulance. Cheryl was then rushed to hospital in Blackpool where doctors confirmed she had suffered a stroke.
The medical emergency left her unable to walk for a time and she still needs to use a stick and have physiotherapy sessions.
‘You lose the ability to coordinate your hands, to walk properly, your balance is gone. It’s frustrating and makes you angry. But I’ve started to recover; I am coming on in leaps and bounds now,’ she said.
Reflecting on what’s important to her after the close call, Cheryl has said ‘memories are everything…friends, family and laughter – that’s all that matters’.
In 2015 the actress was also faced with another unsettling diagnosis after being told she had stage II womb cancer.
She didn’t make that news public until 2024, a year after she was given the all-clear.
‘It was a horrendous time. There were some dark moments, especially at night, when I thought, “Am I going to die? Am I going to leave my husband without a wife, my son without a mum?”,’ she told OK! Magazine.
‘But the time is right to talk about it all now. I’m hoping my story might empower other women.’
Earlier this year she also spoke about her financial difficulties, explaining she was ‘just surviving’.
‘Until I have steady work, I’m not rich or comfortable—I’m just surviving. I’ve been saying yes to everything for no money, but I need to start valuing my work and asking for fair pay. Even my agent insists on it.’
‘Still, I’ll never give in,’ she told The Sun.
It also came after she discovered in 2012 that her accountant had pocked her money for five years and she was left owning hundreds of thousands of pounds to the taxman.
Throughout her career Cheryl has also appeared in Little Britain, Doctor Who, The IT Crowd and Mr. Bigstuff.
Her last screen role came in Diane Morgan’s comedy series Mandy, which was released last month.
Despite her hurdles, Cheryl said that she was aware ‘money and fame don’t equal success’ and she was ‘looking forward to the next chapter’.
What are the symptoms of a stroke?
The NHS outlines that the symptoms of a stroke can be remembered by using the acronym FAST, which stands for Face, Arms, Speech and Time.
When an individual suffers a stroke, they may not be able to smile, their face may have dropped to one side or their mouth or eye may have dropped.
They may not be able to lift both of their arms and keep them up, as one of their arms could be feeling weak or numb.
They may exhibit slurred or unclear speech, or be unable to talk at all and have difficulty understanding if someone else is speaking to them.
People are urged to call 999 if any of these symptoms are spotted.
The charity Stroke Association offers a helpline for anyone who has suffered or been affected by stroke, or if you want further information. You can call the helpline on 0303 3033 100 or email helpline@stroke.org.uk.
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