Ex-EastEnders actress Cheryl Fergison went to food bank after cancer struggle

Former EastEnders histrion Cheryl Fergison has revealed she struggled to wage the bills and needed to sojourn a nutrient slope aft being treated for womb cancer.

Fergison, known for playing Heather Trott connected the BBC One soap from 2007 until 2012 arsenic good arsenic Celebrity Big Brother and The IT Crowd, was diagnosed successful 2015, and shared her information successful April 2024.

The soap star, who is based successful Cleveleys, Lancashire, explained to OK! Magazine earlier this twelvemonth that she underwent a hysterectomy and experienced aboriginal onset menopause owed to the attraction earlier she got the all-clear.

She elaborate to the Sunday Mirror however she had to halt acting owed to undergoing treatment, which caused her wealth issues, arsenic good arsenic intelligence wellness problems.

Fergison, 60, antecedently said she had been supported financially by erstwhile EastEnders workfellow Dame Barbara Windsor, who died successful 2020 aged 83, and successful February this twelvemonth she had thing left.

“I didn’t person immoderate wealth to bash a play shop, I was trying to wage excessively galore debts,” she said.

“It was a truly hard time. Lots of radical tin subordinate to it. You’re trying to find a penny. You’re virtually looking down your settee to spot if you tin find a quid.”

When she attended Citizens Advice and they suggested a nutrient bank, she said she “cried and cried” and felt “it was shameful”.

“How could I person been earning that overmuch wealth and present I americium here?,” she asked.

However, since being supported by the nutrient bank, who Fergison called “angels”, she said she has not needed their assistance again.

Instead, Fergison said she has been capable to instrumentality to enactment successful pantos and singing successful restaurants.

“I anticipation different radical tin subordinate to it. I truly privation to accent that nutrient banks are a service,” she said.

“They’re determination for you to usage truthful delight bash not consciousness embarrassed oregon that it’s a weakness. Whatever the reason, you merit help. We person a close to beryllium capable to unrecorded similar a quality being and bash it successful a dignified way.”

Earlier this year, Rudolph Walker – known arsenic Patrick Trueman connected EastEnders – revealed that helium had been without a unchangeable location for a period, portion moving connected the soap, and had to unrecorded successful a edifice with a shared toilet aft wealth issues.

He told the Daily Mirror helium “didn’t person immoderate fiscal means” portion helium was successful his 70s and “nowhere to live”.

Walker, 85, said: “Some days connected my mode to the studio, I would propulsion up astatine the broadside of the road, person a cry.

“I’d propulsion myself together, get astatine the workplace and the situation would enactment arsenic a tonic, and I was acceptable to go. I accidental it was a benignant of treble life.”

Fergison has besides been successful Little Britain sketches and Your Face Sounds Familiar, and appeared successful the Netflix amusement Hard Cell with Catherine Tate successful 2022.