What role did Cheryl Fergison play on EastEnders? Character explored as actress opens up about her womb cancer battle

Cheryl Fergison, beloved for her role in the iconic British soap opera EastEnders, recently opened up about her battle with womb cancer and how her husband and mates hold her up.

In an exclusive interview with Mirror on Sunday, April 28, 2024, Fergison revealed that she got diagnosed in 2015 and decided to keep it private. Now, after eight years of enduring emotional and physical pain, the EastEnders artist suggests that it is the "right" time to talk about it.

"The time is right to talk about it. My family and I have been through a lot, but we're still here," she said.

Cheryl Fergison, 58, played Heather Trott in EastEnders from 2007 to 2012, which made her famous. She made a voice appearance in 2016 for the public service soap opera. Fergison also appeared in Doctor Who in 2005.

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Exploring Cheryl Fergison's EastEnders character, Heather Trott

Heather Trott, played by British actress Cheryl Fergison, was a quirky character known for her kind-hearted nature and unique personality. In the drama series, she was introduced as the best friend to Shirley Carter, known for her love of cheese and karaoke, admiration for George Michael, and struggles with asthma.

Initially, Heather lived with her controlling mother, Queenie Trott, before moving in with Shirley. Cheryl Fergison was entangled in multiple dramatic events, including pretending to be her friend Hazel at a wedding competition, falling in love with Minty Peterson, and giving birth to her son, George Michael.

Despite all financial and relationship struggles, Heather Trott finds her love with Andrew Cotton but tragically meets her demise when Ben Ischell kills her.

EastEnders is a public service opera series by BBC Studios. It depicts the struggles and lives of working-class people in Albert Square, a fictional place in the East End of London, UK.

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Cheryl Fergison opens up about her womb cancer battle

In a candid revelation with The Mirror, Cheryl Fergison revealed that in 2015, she was diagnosed with stage two womb cancer. The 58-year-old actress expressed her fear of leaving her husband and son amid possible death.

"Yes, there were some dark moments when I thought, 'Am I going to die?' Am I going to leave my husband without a wife, my son without a mum? But I am strong, and I'd knock those thoughts away. I was determined that it wasn't going to beat me," she said.

The Celebrity Big Brother star said she went for a smear test, which came out clear. However, later sometime, she experienced severe backache and blood spotting. Cheryl Fergison said she knew some things were not right.

"I'd gone for a regular smear test, which had been clear, but I'd started having a lot of backache, and then I began spotting blood, which wasn't normal for me. I had been fitted with a coil to help with very heavy periods, but somehow, I just knew something didn't feel right," she explained.

To investigate further symptoms, Ferguson said that her general practitioner referred some tests and a biopsy at a hospital in Kent. Four months after the tests, she received the diagnosis that she had Stage Two cancer of the womb.

The EastEnders artist expressed the emotional impact of diagnosis, particularly for herself and her marriage. Calling it a "horrendous time," Cheryl Fergison said that the diagnosis robbed her of the ability to have a child with her husband, Yassine, whom she married in 2011.

"I'd not long married Yassine, and suddenly, any thought of having a child together had been taken away. We may not have gone down that route, of course, but we'd lost the ability to choose. It brought on early menopause, too; in terms of how I saw myself as a woman, it felt as if it had all come to an end. It was a horrendous time," she expressed.

Cheryl Fergison further spoke about her husband's support through the dark times, as they used to Skype daily. She also named a few former EastEnders colleagues, Barbara Windsor, June Brown, and Steve McFadden, and remembered their support.

Fergison has a 16-year-old son, Alex, from her first marriage with Jamshed Siddiqui, whom she divorced in 2008.

As per the Mayo Clinic, womb cancer is also known as endometrial cancer, which typically develops in the endometrium, the lining of the uterus.