EastEnders star Cheryl Fergison has said she was unable to afford her weekly food shop years after leaving the soap.
The actor, 60, played fan favourite Heather Trott on the soap from 2007 to 2012, exiting the series when the character met an untimely death at the hands of Ben Mitchell.
Fergison, who was diagnosed with womb cancer in 2015, is now singing in Chinese restaurants and performing in pantomimes for work but previously struggled to stay on top of her debts.
Speaking to The Mirror, Fergison said she was taken by Citizens Advice staff to a food bank. In the UK, 760,000 people have used a food bank for the first time over the past year as cost of living pressures have intensified, according to the Trussell Trust.
“I sat there and cried and cried,” said Fergison, who revealed she never looked at the price of anything while starring in EastEnders.
“It was shameful,” she added. “How could I have been earning that much and now I am here?”
She continued: “It was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do. 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.”
Fergison said her money troubles began after her cancer diagnosis in 2015 when she was forced to walk away from her acting career.
Following a hysterectomy, the EastEnders star entered an early menopause that triggered mental health issues and subsequent self-harming.
The actor detailed how she would scald herself with hot water in a bid to “wash away” cancer cells. “As soon as I got the all-clear I stopped it,” she said. “You need to figure out what’s going on in your head.”
Fergison left the food bank with four bags of groceries. “I’ll never forget the people,” she said. “I felt I’d had this warmest hug. It was like a group of angels had said, ‘We can cope with this for you’.”
Of her decision to share her story, the actor added: “I hope other people can relate to it. Food banks are a service to use, so don’t feel embarrassed.”
Back in May, Fergison revealed her EastEnders co-star Barbara Windsor had helped her out financially following her diagnosis.
“I went to the toilet and I’d explained everything was going on and I was going to have my operation very soon,” Fergison said.
“I came back and [Barbara Windsor’s husband] Scott was there with a chequebook and she went, ‘Right, how much are your bills then?’ and she literally wrote a cheque out to help me pay my bills and my mortgage.
“I just remember, just weeping, and you have people like this and people don’t know the generosity of people and what they do, it’s amazing. I’m forever grateful.”
If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
