Cheryl Fergison has shared a touching memory of living with Corrie legend Julie Goodyear in the Celebrity Big Brother house.
More than a decade later, the former EastEnders star looked back at Goodyear’s unforgettable personality while also briefly addressing her current health struggles. Dive in for more info.
Cheryl Fergison Remembers Julie Goodyear At Her Best
During an appearance on the Your Manchester podcast, Fergison was taken back to her time with Goodyear on Celebrity Big Brother in 2012. The two soap stars entered the house in the same series, with Fergison best known as EastEnders’ Heather Trott and Goodyear famous for playing Bet Lynch in Coronation Street.
As soon as Goodyear’s name came up, Fergison made her admiration clear. She said, “Oh yeah, Julie Goodyear. She, she, now she, if you want to use the word iconic, is iconic.”
Fergison also touched on Goodyear’s health while remembering the strong personality she saw inside the house. She said, “And, love her at the moment, she’s not very well at all, but she was on top form when I was with her in the Big Brother house. I mean, she is a force to be reckoned with, I have to say.”
Cheryl Fergison Says She Has Always Adored The Corrie Icon
Fergison explained that her admiration for Goodyear began long before they met on Celebrity Big Brother. Like many viewers, she had grown up watching the actress on Coronation Street, where Goodyear became one of the soap’s most famous faces as Rovers Return landlady Bet Lynch.
Speaking about that connection, Fergison said, “I absolutely adored her, and I always have done, from the soaps, because obviously Corrie was the, you know, original soap, that’s, you know, it’s been there for the longest time. And she’s somebody I’ve grown up with on my screen, you know, as a kid.”
Fergison’s comments come after Goodyear’s husband, Scott Brand, publicly announced her dementia diagnosis in June 2023. He later spoke about becoming her full-time carer, while the Alzheimer’s Society shared their story to highlight the impact dementia can have on both those living with the condition and their loved ones.
Against that difficult background, Fergison’s memories offer a warm look back at Goodyear during a very different chapter of her life. Her words show that the woman she had admired on screen since childhood left just as powerful an impression when they finally shared the Celebrity Big Brother house. Stay tuned to Soap Opera Daily for more Coronation Street spoilers and behind-the-scenes updates.