EastEnders star Cheryl Fergison sells her old clothes

EastEnders fans were given a rather unique opportunity to snap up bargain from an Albert Square veteran on Sunday morning. 

Indeed, visitors to the Norcross car boot sale in Blackpool were surprised to see actress Cheryl Fergison – best known for her former role as hapless Heather Trott – flogging her personal possessions for as little as 33 pence an item. 

Fergison, 60, was accompanied by her son Alex Saddiqi while selling a range of old clothes, shoes, trainers and various household effects at the local marketplace. 

The actress, now based in Blackpool with Alex and her second husband Yassine Al-Jermoni, appeared to attract quite a crowd during her unexpected appearance. 

But many seemed more interested in getting a selfie with the former soap regular, who walks with the aid of a cane after suffering a stroke in May. 

Available items included a range of plus size clothing, with a handwritten sign indicating she had sizes up to a 26 available for purchase. 

And potential buyers were in for a bargain, with Fergison offering a number of special deals, including two items for £5, or three smaller pieces for just £1.

The actress played Heather Trott across 386 episodes of EastEnders, but she was killed off in 2017 and has struggled to find meaningful acting work since shooting her final scenes for the BBC soap.  

Fergison suffered a further blow after discovering she had been left penniless by her accountant, as detailed by the actress in her recently released autobiography, Behind The Scenes. 

‘For five years, I paid him. For five years he pocketed the money and didn’t pay a single penny to HMRC,’ she wrote. 

‘Everything I had built, saved and worked for was gone. I don’t use the word hate very often. It’s a heavy word, one you can’t always take back, but in this case, I meant it. I hated him.’

She added: ‘Going broke when you’re famous is the worst, because everyone expects you to have lots of money.

‘People assume that you’re minted. They don’t imagine you’re juggling overdrafts, maxed-out credit cards, payday loans and mountains of bills. But that was exactly where I found myself.’ 

The actress now lives with second husband Al-Jermoni in Backpool, but visa problems initially prevented the Moroccan national relocating to the United Kingdom after marrying Fergison in 2011. 

Al-Jermoni remained in his native Morocco for nine years, during which a devastating earthquake, its subsequent relief effort and the coronavirus pandemic created additional obstacles .

She told OK! magazine: ‘We try to keep our business private but yes financially it can be a strain to get these visas. 

‘But we’re here now, we’re in Blackpool – the Vegas of the north! – and we’re settled.’

Earlier this year, the actress admitted she is ‘not comfortable’ financially but ‘working my way back up’ after being forced to flog tickets to see her perform at a Chinese takeaway opening night. 

Speaking to The Sun about how she should not be ‘judged for trying to get back on their feet’, she said: ‘My finances will take a long time to recover. 

‘Until I have steady work, I’m not rich or comfortable – I’m just surviving. I’ve been saying yes to everything for no money, but I need to start valuing my work and asking for fair pay. Even my agent insists on it. 

‘Still, I’ll never give in. I want to keep singing. If people criticise me for singing in small restaurants, so be it.’

She added: ‘At the end of the day, I’m an entertainer. Community has always been important to me, and I’ll perform no matter the crowd. 

‘If only two people show up, I don’t care – I’m still being paid, and I’ll still give it my all.’