Lancashire star Cheryl Fergison reflects on her Eastenders career as soap celebrates 40th anniversary

59-year-old Cheryl, who moved to the Fylde Coast eight years ago and now lives in Cleveleys with her husband and son, is perhaps best known for playing Heather Trott in the BBC soap EastEnders from 2007 until 2012.

Although she spent only five years on Eastenders, Cheryl certainly made an impact on the show but how much did it have an impact on her?

To mark the BBC One soap’s 40th anniversary - which is today- Cheryl sat down for a chat, commissioned by Casino.org, to reflect on exactly that.

Take a look at what the star had to say about her time on Eastenders below

What was your favourite storyline?

“Oh, I think I had some really good moments, to be quite honest with you. The most memorable was probably with Shirley and Heather, when she took me to what she thought was George Michael’s house. Turns out, it wasn’t his house at all—she’d got the wrong one by mistake, which was quite funny

“In that episode, Heather and Shirley climbed George’s wall, which was ridiculously high for me. I did all the stunts for that, except for the actual climbing shots—they used The Stig from Top Gear to represent our legs. But when I got to the top, Heather fell off the wall, and I did that stunt myself. Luckily, there were mattresses and cardboard boxes to break my fall. As I was going down, I remember thinking, Could I be a Stig on Top Gear?

“Heather had so many great storylines—some comedic, some sad. And sometimes, I was just sat in the background, asking for a packet of crisps and a lemonade in the back of the Queen Vic. But as an actor, it’s a great place to work.”

What was the best thing about being on EastEnders?

“For me, the best thing was simply getting the role. EastEnders was something I’d always wanted to be in. I’d watched it from day one and used to talk to my flatmates about how one day I wanted to be part of that soap. We thought it was groundbreaking. Coronation Street had always been our go-to soap, but when EastEnders started—with it being set in London—it was just brilliant.

“Back then, it felt much more “normal”. Soap operas like EastEnders, and all soaps in general, have had to become more sensationalised over the years to keep the viewers entertained and to move the storylines away from the average person’s life. But when it first started, it really felt like a true representation of people’s lives. I remember Arthur Fowler taking the Christmas fund, and that was huge. It felt like a genuine portrayal of what people go through when they’re struggling with no money and poverty—and the lengths they might have to go to. Then, when he had a breakdown, that felt traumatic at the time.

“But I loved being part of it.”

And what was the worst thing?

“Nobody prepares you for being in the public eye and dealing with the media. You think you're doing alright, then someone comes along and tells you you're doing a terrible job or writes something negative about you, and it feels unfair—especially when they don't know you or understand the decisions being made on screen.

“At the time, while I was in the midst of EastEnders, I was also dealing with a lot personally. My son, Alex, has ADHD and is on the autistic spectrum, and I was going through a tough time as a mum, managing all his needs, alongside going through a divorce. All of that while still working. There were so many things going on—making sure Alex was okay, keeping up with school, managing his health.

“EastEnders became my sanctuary during those times.

“But now, Alex is doing really well. He’s 25, a young gay man, an actor and a writer. I just did panto with him, and working together for the first time was incredible. It made all the stress worth it, seeing how well he’s doing now.”

How did you feel when Heather was written out of the show?

“At first, I was stunned. I wasn’t expecting that at all. But then I knew I had to be grateful. I’d only planned to be in EastEnders for a couple of episodes, and here I was, just shy of five years. That’s incredible.

“Then the panic set in. How long did I have left? I’d have to find work after I left. I thought my time on EastEnders was going to go on forever, but I realised it wasn’t going to anymore.

“It was a lot of mixed emotions. They didn’t tell me how Heather was going, just that she would be killed off. But they were generous—they gave me six months before Heather’s death, which was great. Usually, you only get a month or two to prepare for an exit, so I was grateful for the time to get myself sorted and find work afterward.

“But during those six months, it almost felt like a prison. I was counting down the days until they released me, but by the time it came, I didn’t want to go. I was panicked.”

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What would you change about soaps?

“What I think soaps really need is someone who’s a complete fanatic on the team to fact-check everything they intend to write. They could share insights from fans and know exactly what’s going on with each character. It would work so well if a huge fan of the show was telling new writers, “Hang on a second, you can’t put Heather on the tube, she’s scared of them,” or “Wait, Heather’s allergic to that—she can’t eat it.” These are all little details I remembered about my character, but there are fans out there who know even more about each character. It would help with continuity and give fans what they want from the show.

“I don’t think Heather’s ending should have been like that—it felt a bit too short for such a great character. But at the same time, it’s always good to bring in new characters. “

Are you going to be watching the 40th anniversary episode?

“I’ll be doing my best to catch up though as I’m working in London this week. I’ll be avoiding social media until I’ve seen the episodes because I really don’t like spoilers—I prefer to binge it!”

You can catch the Eastenders’ 40th anniversary episode on BBC One at 7:30 pm tonight. It will also be available on Iplayer.