Former EastEnders star Cheryl Fergison has revealed she was left in tears after being forced to use a food bank earlier this year due to financial difficulties.
Fergison played Heather Trott on the BBC soap from 2007 to 2012 before her character was killed by Ben Mitchell (Joshua Pascoe).
She has also appeared in other TV shows including Doctor Who, Little Britain, Casualty and The IT Crowd.
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Cheryl Fergison forced to use foodbank after EastEnders exit
Fergison, 60, was diagnosed with womb cancer back in 2015 and she explained, to The Mirror, that was when her life started spiralling downwards.
She had a hysterectomy which pushed her into an early menopause triggering mental health issues and self-harming.
The former EastEnders star revealed she doused herself in scalding water multiple times a day as she became obsessed with “washing” away cancer cells.
Fergison, speaking to The Mirror, added: “I was damaging myself so badly.
“As soon as I got the all-clear I stopped doing it. If you’re told you are ill, it’s not just about the physical issue – somehow, you need to figure out what’s going on in your head with it all."
By February 2024, Fergison said she was penniless, describing it as a "really a difficult time".
So she visited her local Citizens Advice branch, admitting to them she couldn’t afford to eat.
“I sat there and cried and cried. It was shameful. How could I have been on EastEnders? How could I have been earning that much money and now I am here?" Fergison recounted.
“It was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do. I found it so difficult to be that vulnerable. But I didn’t have any money to do a weekly shop. I was trying to pay too many debts.
“Lots of people can relate to it. You’re trying to find a penny. You’re literally looking down your settee to see if you can find a quid.”
After her visit to the Citizens Advice branch she was taken to a food bank where she collected four bags of groceries, dog food and a bunch of daffodils.
“They were like angels. It was like a group of angels had come along and said, ‘We can cope with this for you Cheryl, we can do this for you'."
Fergison has vowed to never go back to the food bank, and has told The Mirror she is now feeling "more positive" about life.
She is starring as the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, in Peterborough this Christmas alongside her 25-year-old son, Alex, who is playing Buttons.
The former EastEnders star revealed she would also love to make a return to TV.
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She said: "I would love to work in another soap. I would love to go on I’m A Celeb. Bring it on, bring it on.”
Fergison added that she hopes opening up about her financial difficulties will help others.
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She said: "I hope other people can relate to it. I really want to stress that food banks are a service.
"They’re there for you to use so please do not feel embarrassed or that it’s a weakness.
"Whatever the reason, you deserve help. We have a right to be able to live like a human being and do it in a dignified way.”
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