Cheryl Fergison provides health update after stroke, walking with a stick as recovery progresses

Cheryl Fergison, the EastEnders veteran who played Heather Trott, has offered a fresh health update after suffering a stroke last month. The 60-year-old actress said she is now walking with the aid of a walking stick and can cover a limited distance before becoming short of breath. “I can walk with a stick now from the stroke, which is brilliant. I can walk a certain amount of way before I get puffed out,” she wrote in messages shared with followers.

In speaking publicly about her recovery, Fergison also recalled the night she first noticed the stroke’s effects. She told The Mirror that balance became unsettled during the night, and she woke unable to settle, describing a moment where her balance “completely went” and she had to steady herself from falling. She also said her whole right side felt numb, heavy and tingly as the incident unfolded. On Instagram on Saturday she reiterated that progress has been steady, even as she acknowledged lingering limits: “You lose the ability to coordinate your hands, to walk properly, your balance is gone. It’s frustrating and makes you angry. But I’ve started to recover; I am coming on in leaps and bounds now.”

The recovery narrative also intertwined with ordinary life as Fergison described a recent outing that sparked a new project idea. She said she walked to her local corner shop for a bit of gentle exercise, and what happened there helped shape her next ambitions. “Anyway, I went down there yesterday, tea time-ish and I went in and said hello to the guys that work there,” she said. A woman in the shop recognized her and told Fergison she had “read your book.” The exchange led to a conversation about the possibility of turning her life story into a film or a series, a concept Fergison had not previously considered but welcomed as a potential project. She added that she would consider casting performers who are ready to graduate from drama schools, should the idea take shape. In a public plea aimed at industry contacts, she posted: “Let’s make Behind The Scenes by Cheryl Fergison in front of the camera for something for you lot to watch.”

The 2020s have been a time of personal and professional recalibration for Fergison, and her health update sits within a broader narrative about resilience. She has previously spoken openly about a range of challenges beyond the stroke. The actress has described experiences including being a victim of child sexual assault, enduring adult binge eating, facing years of financial hardship that at times required support from food banks, and a cancer diagnosis. Her breakthrough role as Heather Trott came in EastEnders, where she appeared for five years before the character was killed off in 2012. In recent years, she has discussed the pressures of aging in the industry and the financial precarity that can accompany acting work. She told The Sun that she is not yet financially secure and is “not comfortable,” describing herself as “just surviving” while she seeks steadier work and fair pay. She emphasized that she remains determined to perform and to pursue singing opportunities, even if audiences are small.

Amid these financial and career considerations, Fergison has signaled a possible return to the BBC, noting that she would welcome a continued connection with the network about future projects. The prospect comes more than a decade after Heather Trott’s on-screen death. In the interim, Fergison has pursued various live performances, including intimate shows at small venues such as a Chinese takeaway, highlighting both the unpredictability and the perseverance that have characterized her career and personal journey. Her current health status and ongoing recovery are guiding her return to work, with fans and colleagues watching closely for the next steps in her story.