2 hours ago
2
Getty Images
Former EastEnders prima Cheryl Fergison has revealed she struggled with her finances and was forced to usage a nutrient slope aft leaving the soap.
The actress, 60, said it drove her to tears, adding: "It was 1 of the hardest things I’ve had to do. I recovered it truthful hard to beryllium that vulnerable."
Fergison is champion known for playing Heather Trott connected the BBC amusement from 2007 until 2012.
She told the Sunday Mirror her battles with wealth started aft she was diagnosed with womb crab successful 2015, which meant she had to locomotion distant from her acting career.
She subsequently had to person a hysterectomy and past went done an aboriginal menopause that triggered intelligence wellness issues and self-harming.
Fergison said she was dousing herself successful scalding h2o regular arsenic she tried to "wash" distant the crab cells.
“I was damaging myself truthful badly,” she said. “As soon arsenic I got the all-clear I stopped doing it. If you’re told you are ill, it’s not conscionable astir the carnal contented - somehow, you request to fig retired what’s going connected successful your caput with it all”
Cheryl Fergison played Heather connected EastEnders from 2007 until 2012
The histrion said that by this February, she was penniless.
"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," she added. “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.”
Fergison said it was a agelong mode from her clip connected EastEnders, erstwhile she "didn't adjacent look astatine the terms of things".
She said that she sought assistance astatine Citizens Advice, and a unit subordinate from the foundation subsequently took her 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?," she asked.
Last month, a caller study by anti-poverty foundation The Trussell Trust said a grounds 9.3 cardinal people - including 1 successful 5 children - are facing hunger and hardship successful the UK.
And much than fractional of low-paid Londoners person had to edifice to utilizing a nutrient slope successful the past year, according to the Living Wage Foundation.
Fergison, who lives successful Cleveleys, was afloat of praise for the workers astatine the nutrient bank, saying: “That time is 1 I’ll ne'er hide – and I’ll ne'er hide the people. I felt I’d had this amazing, biggest, warmest hug. That’s what it felt like.
“They were similar angels. It was similar a radical of angels had travel on and said, ‘We tin header with this for you Cheryl, we tin bash this for you’.”
The histrion said she near determination with 4 bags of groceries, and she has not had to instrumentality since then.
She is since making ends meet, including by singing successful Chinese restaurants and performing successful pantomimes for work.
She added that she hoped that speaking up astir her fiscal struggles would assistance others.
“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.”
BBC News has contacted Fergison's representatives and Citizens Advice for a comment.
English (US)