Cheryl Fergison | |
|---|---|
 Fergison in 2011 | |
| Born | 27 August 1965 London, England |
| Education | Rose Bruford College |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Television | |
| Spouses |
Yassine El Jamouni (m. 2011) |
| Children | 1 |
Cheryl El Jamouni (born 27 August 1965), known professionally as Cheryl Fergison [1] is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Heather Trott in the BBC soap opera EastEnders , a role in which she starred in from 2007 until 2012. [2]
After training at Rose Bruford College, Fergison started playing the role of Heather Trott on the BBC soap opera EastEnders on 26 June 2007. The character was conceived by the former executive producer, Diederick Santer. Prior to this, Fergison made a brief appearance on the series as a friend of Mo Harris (Laila Morse) in 2005.
Fergison's stage credits include Measure for Measure , for the Royal Shakespeare Company [3] and the 2006 season at The Scoop. [4]
Fergison is also known for playing Joanna Harding in the Linda Flint sketches of Little Britain , opposite David Walliams and also played Judy in The IT Crowd . Other notable appearances include 'Allo 'Allo! , Little Miss Jocelyn , Bad Girls and Casualty , as well as playing Mrs. Lloyd in two episodes of Doctor Who , "The Empty Child" and "The Doctor Dances". Fergison also starred in a promotional video for the band Keane's single "Atlantic", which was included on their Under the Iron Sea DVD.
In November 2007, Fergison participated in the Children in Need charity appeal with her EastEnders co-stars which was broadcast on BBC One. On 26 June 2008, she appeared on and won an EastEnders special of quiz show The Weakest Link .
Since appearing on EastEnders, Fergison has made a variety of television appearances on shows such as GMTV , The Paul O'Grady Show , This Morning and Loose Women . She won the Best Comedy Performance award at the 2008 Inside Soap Awards, and was then nominated for Best Comedy Performance and Best Onscreen Partnership Award (alongside Linda Henry) at the 2008 British Soap Awards. Fergison later appeared in Let's Dance For Sport Relief , dancing to "Ice Ice Baby" by Vanilla Ice, and appeared in an episode of BBC Two's Shooting Stars in August 2010.
On 17 September 2011, Fergison was axed from EastEnders and it was announced that she would leave at the end of her current contract, departing the show on 21 March 2012. [5] Heather was killed-off after being murdered by Ben Mitchell (Joshua Pascoe). [6]
In March 2012, Fergison appeared on The Saturday Night Show . [7] In April and June 2012, Fergison made two guest panellist appearances on ITV's Loose Women . On 15 August 2012, Fergison entered the Celebrity Big Brother 10 house. On 24 August 2012, she became the second housemate to be evicted.
Fergison was one of the celebrity contestants on Your Face Sounds Familiar . [8] During the series, she sang as Dusty Springfield, Anastacia, Meatloaf, Lulu, Madonna, Cher and Adele. She played the role of Jo in the 2014 series of Big School on BBC One. [9] On 24 December 2016, Fergison reprised her role on EastEnders as Heather, in the form of a recorded voiceover. [10] The recording was a taped message left by Heather for Dot Branning (June Brown), who discovered it on her last day working in the launderette. [10] [11]
From October to November 2018, she played the part of Mrs Bird in the musical production of Maggie May at the Royal Court Theatre in Liverpool. [12]
In 2022, she played a fictionalised version of herself in Catherine Tate's six-part mockumentary sitcom Hard Cell , released on Netflix. [13] [14] [15]
Fergison is also a keen singer and has posted numerous singing videos to her YouTube account. In 2022, she sang at various pubs and venues and was also seen busking outside a local takeaway. She regularly performs at events, including Mullingar Pride in July 2022. [16]
Fergison divorced her husband, Jamshed Saddiqi, in 2008. She and Saddiqi have one child, a son named Alex. In May 2011, Fergison married Yassine Al-Jermoni. [17]
In 2015, Fergison was diagnosed with stage II womb cancer. [18] After attending a regular smear test, which came back clear, Fergison began experiencing back pain and spotting blood, which she recognised as abnormal. She did not make her diagnosis public until April 2024. [19]
In 2024, Fergison revealed that after leaving EastEnders, she was struggling with money problems and ended up using food banks which she had “cried and cried” when arriving at one for the first time. [20]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Covington Cross | Maid 2 | 2 Episodes |
| 'Allo 'Allo! | Desiree | 1 Episode | |
| 1993 | Genghis Cohn | Frau Langer | Supporting Role |
| 1994 | Middlemarch | Pritchard | 5 Episodes |
| 1996 | Interview Day | Miss Bodley | TV film |
| 1997 | A Royal Scandal | Cleaning Maid | |
| Cold Enough for Snow | Mrs. Bodley | ||
| 2004–2005 | Little Britain | Joanna Harding | 2 Episodes |
| 2005 | Doctor Who | Mrs. Lloyd | |
| EastEnders | Meg | 1 Episode | |
| 2006 | The IT Crowd | Judy | 1 Episode |
| Little Miss Jocelyn | Various | ||
| Bad Girls | Latoya | ||
| Casualty | Lucille Prior | ||
| 2007 | The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle | Fan With a Baby | |
| 2007–2012, 2016 | EastEnders | Heather Trott | 386 Episodes |
| 2008 | Children in Need | Housemaid | TV special |
| 2009 | Mr. Right | Red Team Woman | Supporting Role |
| 2010 | EastEnders: E20 | Heather Trott | 4 Episodes |
| 2013 | The Spa | Ms. Wylde | 5 Episodes |
| 2014 | Big School | Jo | 6 Episodes |
| 2016 | White Island | Security Guard | Supporting Role |
| 2021 | Hansel and Gretel: After Ever After | Executioner | TV film |
| 2021–2022 | The Stand Up Sketch Show | Various | 3 Episodes |
| 2022 | Dodger | Mrs. McCurdy | 1 Episode |
| Hard Cell | Cheryl | 6 Episodes |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | The Weakest Link | Contestant | 1 Episode |
| 2008–2009 | The New Paul O'Grady Show | Guest | 3 Episodes |
| 2008–2020 | Loose Women | Guest Panelist | 8 Episodes |
| 2010–2013 | This Morning | Guest | 4 Episodes |
| 2010 | Let's Dance for Sport Relief | Participant | TV special |
| Shooting Stars | 1 Episode | ||
| Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two | Guest | ||
| All Star Family Fortunes | Contestant | ||
| 2011 | Barbara Windsor: A Comedy Roast | Contributor | TV special |
| Children in Need | Participant | ||
| 2012 | EastEnders Revealed | Interviewee | 1 Episode |
| Daybreak | Guest | ||
| Come Dine with Me | Contestant | ||
| Let's Do Lunch with Gino and Mel | Guest | ||
| Who Wants to Be a Millionaire | Contestant | ||
| The Alan Titchmarsh Show | Guest | ||
| TV Burp | |||
| 2013 | John Bishop's Only Joking | Regular Panelist | 6 Episodes |
| Celebrity Juice | Panelist | 1 Episode | |
| Your Face Sounds Familiar | Regular Performer | 6 Episodes | |
| Celebrity Big Brother | Celebrity Housemate | 14 Episodes | |
| Big Brother's Bit on the Side | Guest | 14 Episodes | |
| Let's Do Christmas with Gino and Mel | 1 Episode | ||
| 2014 | Famous, Rich & Hungry | Participant | 2 Episodes |
| 2015 | Pointless Celebrities | Contestant | 1 Episode |
| Celebrity Mastermind | |||
| 2017 | Sky Comedy Christmas Shorts | Contributor | |
| 2018 | Good Morning Britain | Guest | |
| 2019 | Harry Hill's Alien Fun Capsule | Panelist |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Dance of Death | Jenny | Almeida Theatre, Islington |
| 2006 | Measure for Measure | Mariana | Royal Shakespeare Company |
| 2012–2013 | Cinderella | Fairy Godmother | Central Theatre, Chatham |
| 2013–2014 | Jack and the Beanstalk | Spirit of the Beans | Assembly Rooms, Derby |
| 2015–2016 | Cinderella | Fairy Godmother | Middlesbrough Theatre |
| 2016 | Carnival Dreams the Musical | Teresa | Ashcroft Theatre |
| Menopause the Musical | Earth Mother | UK Tour | |
| 2016–2017 | Beauty and The Beast | Wicked Queen | Lighthouse Theatre, Kettering |
| 2017 | The Wizard of Oz | Wicked Witch of the West | UK Tour |
| 2017–2018 | Sleeping Beauty | Carabosse | The Sands Centre, Carlisle |
| 2018 | Ladies Day | Jan | Wolverhampton Grand Theatre |
| Maggie May | Mrs. Bird | Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool | |
| 2018–2019 | Jack and the Beanstalk | Fairy | Epsom Playhouse |
| 2019–2020 | Stockport Plaza | ||
| 2020–2021 | Menopause the Musical | Earth Mother | UK Tour |
| 2021–2022 | Aladdin | Spirit of the Ring | Trinity Arts Centre |
| 2022–2023 | Cinderella | Fairy Godmother | Stockport Plaza |
| Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Digital Spy Soap Awards | Best On-Screen Partnership (shared with Linda Henry) | Nominated | [21] |
| Digital Spy Soap Awards | Best Newcomer | Nominated | [21] | |
| British Soap Awards | Best Comedy Performance | Nominated | [22] | |
| British Soap Awards | Best On-Screen Partnership (shared with Henry) | Nominated | [22] | |
| Inside Soap Awards | Funniest Performance | Won | [23] | |
| 2009 | Inside Soap Awards | Funniest Performance | Nominated | [24] |
Julie Anne Merkell, known professionally as Patsy Palmer, is an English actress and DJ, known for her roles as Natasha in the children's drama series Grange Hill (1985–1987), and Bianca Jackson in the BBC soap opera EastEnders which earned her the British Soap Award for Best Actress.
Garry Hobbs is a fictional character in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Ricky Groves. He made his first appearance on 18 September 2000, alongside the Slater family. It was announced on 26 March 2009 that Groves and co-star Kara Tointon, who played Dawn Swann, would be written out of the soap, and he made his final appearance on 27 August 2009 after nearly nine years on the show.
Darren Miller is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Charlie G. Hawkins. He made his first appearance on 6 September 2004 and departed in the episode broadcast on 20 September 2011.
Carly Wicks is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Kellie Shirley, and by Michaela Stephen in a home movie the Wicks family watched on 23 April 2007. She made her first appearance on 17 February 2006. Carly was axed from the serial after her on-screen father Kevin quit. Carly is characterised as a tomboy who enjoys an active sex life. One scene sparked complaints from viewers who felt it inappropriate. She is also portrayed as having a dysfunctional relationship with her mother, Shirley Carter.
Ben Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, who has been played by six different actors since his on-screen birth on 21 March 1996. Matthew Silver appeared as an infant Ben between 1996 and 1998, and Morgan Whittle played him as a toddler between 1999 and 2001. After a five-year absence from the series, Charlie Jones assumed the role of Ben in 2006. In 2010, the character was recast with Joshua Pascoe in the role, who made his first appearance on 13 December 2010. Pascoe quit the role in 2012 and Ben departed on 24 August 2012. Ben's return was announced in May 2014 with Harry Reid in the role; Ben returned on 22 September 2014. Reid was written out of the series in 2017 and Ben departed on 12 January 2018. Ben was reintroduced in 2019 with the role recast to Max Bowden. Ben returned on 1 April 2019. In December 2023, it was announced Bowden would exit the role. Ben departed the series on 28 March 2024, after being extradited to America for credit card fraud.
Linda Valiris is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Yvonne Atkins in the ITV prison drama series Bad Girls and Shirley Carter in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. She had previously appeared in EastEnders as the original Lorraine Salter, the mother of Mandy Salter, from 1991 to 1992. Her other acting credits include Cracker (1995), Prime Suspect (1997) and Trial & Retribution (1998). She has also appeared in the films Beautiful Thing (1996) and The Business (2005).
Lindsey Coulson is an English actress, known for her portrayal of Carol Jackson on the BBC soap opera EastEnders. For this, she won the 2000 British Soap Award for Best Dramatic Performance. Other roles include Cheryl in Manchild (2002–2003), DC Rosie McManus in Murder Investigation Team (2003–2005), DCI Sarah Tanner in Bulletproof (2018–2021), and Penny Armstrong in The Bay (2019–2021). Coulson's film credits include AKA (2003) and Funny Cow (2017).
Shirley Carter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Linda Henry. She first appeared on 7 December 2006, during episodes set in Dorset. This is Henry's second role in EastEnders, as she previously played prostitute Lorraine Salter (1991–1992). Henry took a break from the show on 7 September 2012, before returning on 3 December 2012. On 29 December 2022, Henry took an extended break from the show, with Shirley hoped to return at some point in the future. However, there is currently no confirmed date for her return. Shirley is one of several EastEnders characters to appear in the internet spin-off series EastEnders: E20.
Jay Brown is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Jamie Borthwick. He made his first appearance on 14 December 2006.
Rita Joanne Simons is an English actress and singer. She is best known for portraying the role of Roxy Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders from 2007 to 2017, when her character was killed-off, alongside her on-screen character's sister Ronnie Mitchell. For her performance on the show Simons received many accolades, including the 2008 National Television Award for "Most Popular Newcomer".
Heather Trott is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Cheryl Fergison. She made her first appearance on 26 June 2007. The character was introduced as a guest character, but later became a regular. The sidekick of character Shirley Carter, most of Heather's storylines involved comedy, and Fergison won the 'Funniest Performance' award at the 2008 Inside Soap Awards. Heather's character is known for her headbands, love of cheese and karaoke, impeccable manners, and being a fan of singer George Michael.
Bryan Kirkwood is a British television producer. He was the producer of the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks from 2006 until 2009 and was the executive producer of the BBC soap EastEnders from 2010 until 2012. He returned as the executive producer of Hollyoaks in late 2012, before leaving again in March 2021. His final episodes aired in June of that year. In 2022, he returned to EastEnders as a writer.
Suzy Branning is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera EastEnders, played by Julie Christian-Young for a brief appearance in April 1996, and Maggie O'Neill in 2008, who began filming in May that year, and she appeared from 8 July to 26 December 2008. Soon after her reintroduction in 2008, Suzy begins a relationship with Phil Mitchell and enters into a rivalry with Phil's other love interest Shirley Carter. She schemes to con Phil out of his money and after her intentions are discovered, Suzy leaves Walford.
Dr Al Jenkins is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Adam Croasdell. He first appeared on 1 May 2009. It was announced on 26 November 2009 that the character would leave the soap in early 2010. His final appearance was on 4 February 2010.
Zsa Zsa Carter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders and its internet spin-off EastEnders: E20, played by Emer Kenny. She is the daughter of Tina Carter. She made her first appearance in EastEnders on 5 January 2010 and appears in all twelve episodes of the first series of EastEnders: E20. The character was created by a team of 13 writers aged between 17 and 22 and is described as bright, sarcastic and a rebel. In May 2010, the character's departure from the show was announced; her last appearance was on 30 September 2010.
Jodie Gold is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Kylie Babbington. She first appeared on screen on 7 June 2010. On 24 October 2011, it was announced that Babbington's contract would not be renewed and Jodie departed on 14 November 2011, along with Poppy Meadow.
Manda Best is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Josie Lawrence. Manda was introduced by executive producer Diederick Santer, and made her first appearance on 6 March 2009 and her last on 12 February 2010.
Lorraine Newman is a British scriptwriter, television producer, and the executive producer of the BBC soap opera EastEnders from 2012 to 2013. Newman, who has worked on EastEnders for "nearly 20 years", received the role of executive producer when her predecessor stepped down in 2012. Newman was also the executive producer of Babs, a BBC biopic about Dame Barbara Windsor.
Hard Cell is a British mockumentary sitcom television series created, co-written and co-directed by Catherine Tate, who also plays six of the main characters. The series premiered on 12 April 2022 on Netflix, and consists of six episodes. In June 2023, Tate confirmed that Netflix had officially cancelled the series after one season, which Tate found out about through someone else's agent.