Cheryl Fergison, the actress from Eastenders, may be happily married right now, but her first marriage ended when the 59-year-old began doing some “solid detective work” to find out what he had been up to.
Cheryl Fergison is best known for playing hapless Heather Trott in EastEnders. But, as her explosive new autobiography, Behind The Scenes, reveals, her life off-screen was often more dramatic than her plotlines in the BBC1 soap.
“I have always worn my heart on my sleeve, so I hope my story is relatable,” says Cheryl, who has bravely revealed how she suffered a stroke in May, which has left her walking with a stick.
I’ve had to accept a lot of things. Before I could talk about it, I had to process it. The moment is right now.
When Cheryl, who played Heather from 2007 to 2012, realized Jay Saddiqi, the father of her 25-year-old son, was cheating, she climbed into the car and realized it.
READ MORE: Cheryl Fergison: ‘I came out of the Celebrity Big Brother house to find out I’d been left penniless by my accountant’READ MORE: Cheryl Fergison chokes back tears as she reveals son is her carer after horror stroke
Climbing into her car to greet first husband Jay Saddiqi changed everything for Cheryl(Image: Andy Stenning/Daily Mirror)
She says, “I pulled the seatbelt across my body and it hit me,” according to an excerpt from her book. a scent . Not mine, but light, sweet, floral, and powdery.
Why, Jay, can I feel the perfume on my seatbelt? I remarked, “Sniffing it like a bloodhound.”
He slammed his head against his face, and his eyes flashed in a resentment. Cheryl, you’re imagining things.
“‘ I’m not. It has a strong foundation. I can tell right away that I once again held the strap in my nose.
Jay sighed loudly and slammed his steering wheel. It’s most likely one of the young people at work. Their aftershave, perhaps? You’re acting paranoidly.
Oh, please stop.” When did the security firm’s employees first smell like duty-free perfume shops?
He walked away from the windscreen and glared at him. What do we do when we go shopping?
Every time I enter a car and buckle up my seatbelt, I smell it, to this day.
“I started to think that my husband was having an affair with me, but I was able to persuade myself that I was wrong.”
Cheryl began calling unknown numbers on a phone bill and made her shocking discovery(Image: Tim Merry/Mirror Express)
Then, a caller ID for a number Cheryl didn’t recognize showed up in a phone bill. A woman responded to her call. However, Jay was the voice on the line when she returned.
She went there to confront him after doing some “solid detective work” and later discovered where they were meeting.
She describes what she thought to be a “dingy, makeshift love nest.”
She writes: “And there, perched on the dirty bed she shared with my husband, was a skinny blonde woman, sipping a bright blue WKD like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Jay was seated next to her, caught in the headlights, and silently and still unwilling to offer any assistance. Not even an ounce of shame, not even an apology, or an explanation.
“I loaded the car up, sat Alex in his seat, and drove to London that night. leaving Jay and my marriage behind.
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After eight years of marriage, Cheryl divorced Afghan refugee Jay.
Cheryl’s upcoming book shares secrets from her life (Image: Mirror Feature supplied)
Cheryl Fergison, a national soap star, discovered that her accountant had duped her after leaving Celebrity Big Brother and with nothing.
She’s best known for playing Heather Trott in EastEnders. But away from our TV screens, Cheryl Fergison has lived a life worthy of any soap script. Now, in her explosive new autobiography, Behind The Scenes, she reveals the highs and lows of being in the spotlight, as well as the private happiness, heartbreak and tragedy she has endured.
Cheryl, who bravely revealed how she had a stroke in May and was left walking with a stick, says, “I have always worn my heart on my sleeve. I hope my story is relatable.” I have had to accept a lot of things. Before I could talk about it, I had to process it. The moment is right now.
In day two of our exclusive series, in extracts adapted from her book, she tells how she was left penniless after being scammed by her own accountant. She says: “I’m a survivor. It’s not that I’m a glass half full person; I just know I am lucky to have a glass at all.”
READ MORE: Cheryl Fergison chokes back tears as she reveals son is her carer after horror strokeREAD MORE: EastEnders’ Cheryl Fergison, 59, suffers devastating stroke after losing life savings
Cheryl hopes that her story will resonate with readers(Image: Tim Merry/Mirror Express)
“I wanted to pulverise him, really I did. I wanted to grab him by the collar and scream in his face. I wanted him to feel the crushing panic I’d felt, the betrayal and the grief,” says Cheryl, as she recounts how, in 2012, she emerged from the Celebrity Big Brother house to news that her accountant had conned her.
I paid him for five years. He hid the funds for five years without giving anything to HMRC. I had built nothing, saved nothing, and worked nothing.
I don’t say “hate” very frequently. You can’t always take back a word that’s used in this context, but I meant it. I detested him. Not just for what he did, but also for how I felt about myself.
“For the mess he left behind,” he said. For every miserable night, every tear, every humiliating phone call to the bank, the tax office, and friends trying to figure out how to keep my head above water.
Everyone expects a lot of money from you, so going broke when you’re famous is the worst. You are presumed to be minted, by some. They don’t think you’re juggling overdrafts, maxed out credit cards, payday loans, and mountain of bills. But that’s where I ended up.
“I’d just come out of one of the biggest soaps in the country, I’d done Celebrity Big Brother. I was still in the papers, still recognised in the street, but behind the scenes, I was totally skint.’”
Cheryl, of Cleveleys, Blackpool, who was in EastEnders from 2007 to 2012, was grateful for the support of her second husband Yassim al-Jemoni, 39, and son Alex, 25, by first husband Jay Saddiqi.
Cheryl with her 25 year old son, Alex Saddiqi(Image: Tim Merry/Mirror Express)
After eight years of marriage, she sadly divorced her first husband, Afghan refugee Jay Saddiqi, Alex’s father. She reveals how one day, when she climbed into the car, she realized he had been cheating on her.
She recalls that she was struck by the seatbelt as she pulled it across my body. a scent . Not mine, but light, sweet, floral, and powdery.
Why, Jay, can I feel the perfume on my seatbelt? I responded, “sneaking it like a bloodhound,” He slammed his head against his head, his eyes flashing in a resentment. Cheryl, you’re imagining things.
“‘ I’m not. It has a strong foundation. I can tell right away that I once again held the strap in my nose.
Jay sighed loudly and slammed his steering wheel. It’s most likely one of the young people at work. Their aftershave, perhaps? You’re acting paranoidly.
Oh, please stop.” When did the security firm’s employees first smell like duty-free perfume shops?
He walked away from the windscreen and glared at him. What do we do when we go shopping?
Every time I enter a car and buckle up my seatbelt, I smell it, to this day.
“I started to think that my husband was having an affair with me, but I was able to persuade myself that I was wrong.”
Cheryl confronted her first husband about cheating after ‘solid detective work’(Image: Tim Merry/Mirror Express)
Then, a caller ID for a number Cheryl didn’t recognize showed up in a phone bill. A woman responded to her call. However, Jay was the voice on the line when she returned.
She went there to confront him and the woman after doing some “solid detective work.” She describes what she thought to be a “dingy, makeshift love nest.”
She writes: “And there, perched on the dirty bed she shared with my husband, was a skinny blonde woman, sipping a bright blue WKD like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Jay was seated next to her, caught in the headlights, and silently and still unwilling to offer any assistance. Not even an ounce of shame, not even an apology, or an explanation.
“I loaded the car up, sat Alex in his seat, and drove to London that night. leaving Jay and my marriage behind.
How I flew to Morocco tomorrow to meet my future husband.
Cheryl is Steve’s daughter Frankie’s godmother(Image: cherylfergison/Instagram)
Steve McFadden, the star of EastEnders, discusses Cheryl’s role as his “sis” in a giddy-up front of her book.
He asserts that “you can choose your friends, not your family, but occasionally someone crosses the line.” Cheryl is that. She is my sister in every way, but she is also my sister in every way. If I’d ever had a sister growing up, I would have wanted her to be like Cheryl, and she calls me “big bruv.”
Everyone who gets to know her is completely adored, hearty to the core, and full of love.
We “just clicked” right away when I met Cheryl. We laughed and snuffed each other up like two mischievous kids. No filter or judgment was used, just pure openness and that brilliant, wicked humor.
She’s the kind of person who will appear in a room full of chaos like a cheeky little meerkat, with eyes wide open, full of energy, always looking for the funny side.
“Cheryl is a breath of fresh air,” she says. She doesn’t care about negativity; she wants to lift people, make them laugh, and make them feel better.
Let’s not forget that she is a talented actress. She belongs wherever she can be seen, whether it’s on stage, in a movie, on television, or anywhere else. Her magic has come to life in person.
She even performed at my mother’s 70th birthday, singing Beatles songs all the way down the Thames while cruising on a Dutch barge, no less. Heads were definitely turning.
“Life hasn’t always been easy on her,” she says. She’s experienced a lot of knocks, far more than most, but she never let anything prevent her from getting up or letting her down for very long.
She continues to soldier despite this. Even when life throws her a curveball, she finds the gold in the grit.
Continue reading the article.
Cheryl’s upcoming book shares secrets from her life(Image: Mirror Feature supplied)
James Norton, an actor, has refuted rumors that he’s dating Lily Allen after they allegedly shared kisses at a festival in London earlier this year.
James Norton has broken his silence on an alleged romance with Lily Allen(Image: Getty)
James Norton has addressed rumours of a romance with Lily Allen that emerged following reports the pair allegedly shared a kiss. Speaking about a story from June involving a supposed “snog” with the ‘Smile’ singer at the Lido Festival in London’s Victoria Park, James hinted that the reality becomes clear when you examine the photographs.
During a recent chat with the Guardian, the subject of relationships came up with the King & Conqueror actor, who parted ways with his former fiancée Imogen Poots in 2023, along with what the publication described as the “oppressive” scrutiny that his romantic life attracts.
He stated that he constantly strikes a balance between “authenticity with privacy” and that he doesn’t want to talk about his relationships “at all” and doesn’t like being spotted by paparazzi.
James explained: “I want to be honest but I don’t want to talk about my relationships at all and I don’t like it when I get photographed with a friend walking down the street and it’s then told the next day like it’s a romance. Another romance!”
James had seen the claims in question and shared a response(Image: Getty)
Additionally, it became clear that this discussion took place just one week before the festival incident. James responded to accusations of kissing the singer by saying, “I’m not snogging them!” Isn’t that funny, isn’t it?
He continued, “I’m a man in London who goes on occasional dates, meets people, lives his life, and it’s kind of nobody’s business really.”
The Sun published the allegations, stating that the duo were spotted at the festival watching Charli XCX’s performance before heading to a “backstage compound”.
According to a “onlooker,” James and Lily “looked very inward and were snogging backstage.” We were all quite taken aback when we saw them together, let alone kissing.
Additionally, the publication claimed that Paul Mescal and Harris Dickinson were present at the after-party and that Lily and James allegedly got married via Raya, a popular dating app.
James was spotted with Lily Allen at the Lido Festival in London’s Victoria Park(Image: Getty)
It was reported earlier this month that Lily and Stranger Things actor David Harbour were going to leave the townhouse in New York.
The former couple, who got hitched in 2020, split last year after purchasing the Brooklyn property after their Las Vegas wedding. The Mirror reports that Lily has since bought a former council flat in London.
Lily’s self-catering habit seems to be centered on interior design, revealing to the publication that she has been using design magazines for her rumored new home in Notting Hill.
She continued, “I’m really enjoying those at the moment. It’s obvious that I’ve had a lot of trouble, and that has really helped me.”
At the Canoe Sprint World Championships, Great Britain finished third overall in the medal table led by Hope Gordon and Charlotte Henshaw, who both won two medals.
Henshaw has won the women’s VL3 title four of the previous five competitions, with Hope taking the trophy in 2023.
Scot Gordon, 30, and Henshaw, 38, both won the title of British one-two this time.
Henshaw, a three-time Paralympic champion, did, however, earn her 11th world gold, extending her lead in the KL2 event for the seventh time in a row.
In addition to winning a bronze medal at the KL3 competition in Milan, Laura Sugar, her Welsh team-mate and Paralympic champion, won the third place finish.
In addition to one silver and four bronze, GB won a total of four golds in Italy.
David Phillipson, who won his first international competition after capturing both world and Olympic silver in 2024, won the other gold in the men’s KL2 event.
After Joe Root’s sublime 64 not out helped Trent Rockets to a tense three-wicket victory over Welsh Fire, they clinch their place in the knockouts. They take the men’s hundred competition, joining the Oval Invincibles and Northern Superchargers at the top of the table.
STARS UP: Sublime Root leads Rockets through Hundred knockouts, according to the match report.
As the Israeli military intensifies its assault on Gaza City, tens of thousands of children in Gaza are currently suffering from malnutrition.
Nadia Abu Arar, Mai’s mother, claims her young daughter was once lively and joyful, but she is now fighting for her life after shedding a lot of pounds.
She is not a patient with any diseases or previous conditions, according to the doctors. They claim that the situation is all due to malnutrition, and Nadia claims that nothing has changed in her situation.
Mai can no longer consume liquid food through a syringe because of her weight.
Israel has been preventing the delivery of medicines to the enclave, according to Hisham Abu Al Oun, the patient’s friend hospital in Gaza City. This has made it challenging to treat malnourished patients.
The simplest medication that a doctor can prescribe is potassium chloride. That is all that exists. Because of lack, we have babies who die. Unfortunately, there are very few supplies when they arrive, he said.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a hunger monitor supported by the UN, announced for the first time that northern Gaza is experiencing famine.
At least 289 people have died in the enclave as a result of starvation, including 115 children.
Palestinians risk their lives by attempting to reach aid sites deep inside areas that the Israeli military controls, with the exception of a small amount of food that is delivered via airdrops and the United States-backed organization GHF.
Palestinians in Gaza are experiencing “hell in all shapes,” according to Philippe Lazzarini, the UN’s head of the Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
“This will be with us forever.” The most offensive dehumanization is denial, according to a statement from Lazzarini.
“It’s time for the Israeli government to stop supporting a different narrative, stop supporting international journalists, and allow international journalists to report independently from Gaza,” the statement read.
The IPC claimed in its report that the ongoing conflict between Israel and Israel caused at least 1.9 million people to flee twice as a result of a man-made famine.
According to Liz Allcock, a rights advocate for Palestinians in Gaza, hunger is affecting everyone there.
It occurs daily throughout the entire [Gaza] Strip. Children and young children are also at risk, as are elderly people who cannot eat any kind of food. Additionally, she said, there are also healthcare staff and aid workers who are giving up on the job because they lack the necessary food to continue.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly disputed that Gaza’s residents are starving, blaming Hamas and aid organizations for failing to provide supplies to residents.
