Eastenders legends to Corrie favourites: The soap stars who have struggled financially

Cheryl Fergison’s portrayal of the loveable, George Michael-obsessed Heather Trott made the quality an Eastenders favourite during her five-year stint connected the soap successful the precocious Noughties.

However, successful an interrogation with the Sunday Mirror, the 60-year-old histrion has revealed that she struggled with her finances aft leaving the amusement and was forced to usage a nutrient slope earlier this year.

“It was 1 of the hardest things I’ve had to do. I recovered it truthful hard to beryllium that vulnerable,” she told the newspaper. “But I didn’t person immoderate wealth to bash a play shop. I was trying to wage excessively galore debts.”

After telling a Citizens Advice unit subordinate that she couldn’t spend to eat, Fergison was taken to a nutrient bank. “I sat determination and cried and cried. It was shameful. “How could I person been connected Eastenders? How could I person been earning that overmuch wealth and present I americium here?”

Fergison’s fiscal woes began aft she was diagnosed with womb crab successful 2015, which forced her to halt her acting vocation and triggered aboriginal menopause. Due to the latter, she experienced intelligence wellness problems, which led to self-harm – including pouring scalding h2o connected herself regular to “wash” distant the crab cells.

But Fergison isn’t the lone British soap prima to autumn connected hard times erstwhile disconnected screen. Keep speechmaking to larn of much celebrated faces from British soaps that person struggled with their finances.

The 48-year-old became an on-screen favourite for her relation arsenic Tiffany Mitchell connected Eastenders, going connected to prima successful Christmas classical Love Actually and adjacent enjoying a short-lived popular euphony career.

However successful 2013 the histrion declared bankruptcy, a twelvemonth aft her lavish Italian wedding to hubby Jack McManus incurred unexpected costs that led to the mates paying thousands of pounds to the section mafia. McCutcheon was forced to merchantability her £25,000 engagement ringing to regain funds.

“I conscionable thought my health, money, vocation person each been taken from me, and present adjacent my engagement ringing – the lone happening that represents what is coagulated successful my beingness – has gone,” she told the Sun. In August, McCutcheon and McManus divided after 18 years.

Wil Johnson appeared successful Emmerdale arsenic Dom Andrews for 2 years betwixt 2012 and 2014, and near the amusement soon aft being declared bankrupt for a 2nd time.

Johnson, a begetter of seven, archetypal faced a bankruptcy bid earlier joining the soap successful 2010. It was reported that helium was incapable to look mounting unpaid debts.

Joe Swash is 1 of the astir recognisable faces from Eastenders’ Noughties era, but adjacent helium – who played Mickey Miller connected the amusement betwixt 2003 and 2008 – has fallen connected hard times since appearing connected the soap.

While Swash – who is joined to Stacey Solomon – present appears to beryllium successful a amended place, the 42-year-old declared bankruptcy a period aft being crowned the king of the I’m a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here jungle successful 2008. “I fell down connected taxation and bills and buried my caput successful the sand, which was the worst happening to do,” helium told the Mirror. “I should person faced up to it.”

After declaring bankruptcy for a 2nd clip successful 2013, telling the newspaper: “The 2nd clip it happened erstwhile I was connected TV and I felt embarrassed and wondered however I managed to get myself into that situation. But it tin hap to anybody.”

“I was chucking it [money] distant connected worldly I didn’t need. I went retired each nighttime and had a location with a mortgage.”

Forty-year-old Corrie prima Ryan Thomas is yet different soap histrion to look bankruptcy, which helium filed for successful 2013 aft being slapped with a £40,000 taxation measure portion inactive appearing arsenic Jason Grimshaw connected the soap.

In an interrogation with The Times, Thomas said having a recognition paper from a young property caused him “a fewer problems”, revealing that he’d adjacent wage the measure for his friend’s nights out. Going connected to telephone the acquisition a “blessing” due to the fact that of what it taught him, he’s gone connected to triumph some Celebrity Big Brother and Dancing connected Ice since.

Jarvis lone appeared arsenic Hayley Slater successful Eastenders for a year, declaring that she’d taken a interruption from acting soon afterwards. The 33-year-old made the beforehand leafage of the Daily Star aboriginal that twelvemonth erstwhile it was reported that she was moving successful retail information astatine a B&M Bargains store to financially enactment her young children.

The histrion told Victoria Derbyshire that she was near feeling “really embarrassed” by the headlines her occupation made – however, a fig of British TV stars including David Suchet (Poirot) and Charlie Condou (Coronation Street) jumped to her defence, sharing the mundane jobs they worked successful betwixt acting work.

The Coronation Street histrion played Jim McDonald for 11 years betwixt 1989 and 2000, and has since made a fig of appearances connected the soap. Lawson archetypal declared himself bankrupt successful 2001 with debts of astir £200,000 owed to Inland Revenue and concern firms.

Lawson opened and operated a workplace store with his woman successful 2012, nevertheless the concern went bust successful 2018 – owing astir £50,000 to liquidators and solicitors.