EastEnders’ Cheryl Fergison went through a lot. It’s just a lot. She was so sick and had a terrible sickness. People betrayed her, and she just kept going. But she is so strong, she won’t stop. Every bad thing just pushed her. It just made her stronger. Keep scrolling to learn more.
EastEnders: A Life That Broke
Cheryl was in a cafe and was having coffee. She needs both hands to hold her cup. Her right hand still shakes from a stroke. She had a stroke earlier this year. “It was the lowest time,” she said. One moment, she was fine. Then her whole world just broke. “It was so shocking,” she said, it was just a shock.
It all started at her home. A very awful headache hit her, a terrible headache in the back of her head. Going to bed did not help. She couldn’t sleep. When she got up, her balance was just gone. Her whole right side was just numb. It felt heavy, it felt tingly. She panicked and called her son Alex. He knew, so he called an ambulance. She was rushed to the hospital in Blackpool. The doctors said it was a stroke.
Walking was impossible at first. I needed three people to get me to the toilet,” she says. She still uses a stick. “I had to train my brain.” She got so mad about that and was so frustrated and angry. But she is getting better now. “I am coming on in leaps and bounds,” she said. She is still doing physiotherapy.
Cheryl Is In So Much Pain
The stroke was not the only bad thing. Her life has had so much pain. In 2012, she learnt that she owed a lot of money. Her accountant had been stealing her money for five years. “I was shocked,” she said. She had just left Celebrity Big Brother. Money was no object. The actress felt great, then her whole world just collapsed.
She trusted this guy. She thought he was helping her. But he was lining his own pockets; he was stealing. Cheryl had to pay it all. She had to sell her house. She had to rebuild from nothing. It has taken her years to recover, just years.
She was homeless with her toddler son and was also trapped in a difficult marriage. She spent eight months in a women’s refuge. But she built a career on EastEnders. She was in Little Britain. She also worked on Doctor Who and with the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Her book, Behind the Scenes, isn’t all sad. She remembers the good times, too. Her role as Heather even led to a friendship with George Michael. “He started sending me gifts,” she said. “We became mates. He was such a kind man.” Now she is almost 60, she says. “I am looking forward to what is next. Bring it on!” For more EastEnders spoilers and updates, keep following Soap Opera Daily.