Cheryl Fergison, who played Heather Trott on the long-running BBC soap, sadly suffered a stroke in May, but has shared an encouraging update about her road to recovery

Cheryl Fergison has issued an encouraging health update after being left “absolutely devastated” following a stroke earlier this year. Her insights came in the first episode of a new podcast, titled Celebrity Skin Talk, in which the EastEnders star discussed the arduous nature of her recovery after being left unable to talk or walk without a stick.

Cheryl, who played Heather Trott on the long-running BBC soap, suffered a stroke in May and was rushed to hospital in Blackpool. Since then, she has undergone a recovery process to “retrain” her brain.

Speaking to host Scott McGlynn, Cheryl revealed that she’d been “doing lots of exercise”, including walking, and, in a promising sign, noted that she’d been “getting stronger and stronger.”

Elaborating further on her health scare, Cheryl admitted that she initially hid it as she didn’t want anybody else to know, confessing that she was worried about the impact on her career.

She explained: “I felt like people in my industry wouldn’t understand and that they would sort of put me out to graze as an old horse, you know?

“So, I kind of, with a lot of people and a lot of support, I was kind of getting myself to – because I couldn’t walk at first at all – so it was a lot to adjust to, more so in my head than anything else, you know? So, it was frustrating. I was…literally thought my life had ended.”

Cheryl came to the realisation that, unlike something that takes time to mend like a broken bone, with your brain (although she conceded it would take a long time), you can address it and start the process of “retraining” it.

Explaining how this worked, Cheryl described how she would “keep telling” herself that she could use her “good” hand to perform a task, and then it was a case of retraining her brain for “all those years” she’d “learnt how to do something”.

Summing up her experience, Cheryl added: “So, I think it was really frustrating. For the first month, I was like absolutely devastated.”

The 60-year-old TV legend ultimately decided to reveal what had happened to her and now hopes her journey will help others realise that it’s possible to “get there” with “hard work” and by utilising the support system around you.

Cheryl, who starred in the much-loved soap from 2007 to 2012, has also appeared in shows such as Doctor Who, Little Britain, and The IT Crowd.

In 2015, she underwent surgery for womb cancer; touchingly, the late Barbara Windsor (EastEnders legend Peggy Mitchell) paid for her living and medical costs, reports the Independent.

Speaking previously, Cheryl said: “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.”