BBC EastEnders star Cheryl Fergison opens up on 'hard' recovery after strokeFormer EastEnders actress Cheryl Fergison has opened up about her recovery after suffering a stroke in May last yearCheryl Fergison discusses her cancer diagnosis on Loose WomenFormer EastEnders star Cheryl Fergison has opened up on her "hard" recovery after suffering a stroke. ‌The 60-year-old actress, known for playing Heather Trott on the BBC soap, suffered a stroke in May last year, leaving her unable to walk or speak. View 2 Images Cheryl Fergison suffered a stroke last year (Image: BBC)‌How old is EastEnders star Max Murray as Joel Marshall returns to BBC soap? READ MORE :BBC EastEnders favourite shares new job announcement following ongoing feud READ MORE :Looking back on her tumultuous year, Cheryl shared: "Once I left EastEnders, I thought, 'Right, I need to start losing some weight here'. View 2 Images Cheryl played Heather Trott in EastEnders (Image: BBC)‌"My right side, which is still quite heavy, wasn't working at all.