Strolling through bluebell strewn gardens in the spring sunshine Cheryl Fergison looks the very picture of happiness and health.
But the former EastEnders actress has been fighting a secret battle against cancer - the story of which she only now feels ready to share. “It was a horrendous time,” the 58-year-old former soap favourite reveals to OK! “There were some dark moments, especially at night, when I thought: ‘am I going to die?’ Am I going to leave my husband without a wife, my son without a mum? “But the time is right to talk about it all now.
I’m hoping my story might empower other women. “I’ve been through a lot but I’m still here. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” That motto is something Cheryl, who played big-hearted Heather Trott in EastEnders for half a decade, has had no other choice but to live by having been diagnosed with Stage 2 cancer of the womb in 2015.
Now living in Blackpool with her husband of 12 years, 38-year-old Yassine, and Alex, her 24-year-old son by her first marriage, Cheryl is chatty and generous with her time as we talk.