Cheryl Fergison has opened up about suffering a life-changing stroke

Cheryl, who plays the beloved Heather Trott in EastEnders, suffered a stroke in May and has recently opened up about the moment her 'world was rocked'.

The actor described the initial symptom as 'a really bad headache at the back of her head'.

She told The Mirror: "I went to bed but couldn’t settle. When I got up in the night to go to the bathroom, my balance completely went, and I had to stop myself from falling over. My whole right side felt numb, heavy and tingly."

Worried and concerned, Cheryl called her son, Alex, who recognised her symptoms and immediately called an ambulance.

Shortly after, Cheryl was rushed to a hospital in Blackpool, where doctors confirmed she had suffered a stroke.

Describing the process following the stroke, Cheryl said: "One of the hardest things is to process what it does to you.

"One minute you’re walking, talking, going to the shops; the next your world is rocked. It’s shocking."

"I have had to retrain my brain. I couldn’t even pick up a penny at first," Cheryl explained.

"You lose the ability to coordinate your hands, to walk properly, your balance is gone. It’s frustrating and makes you angry. But I’ve started to recover; I am coming on in leaps and bounds now."

Back in 2015, Cheryl underwent surgery following a womb cancer diagnosis, which she only publicly spoke about last year.

Speaking on Loose Women, the EastEnders actor spoke about her desire to ensure women always 'listen to their bodies' after realising that her diagnosis could have easily been missed if she hadn't pushed for further investigation.

She said: "I think the thing is, if I hadn’t acted on what was going on with me, I don’t feel like I would have been here today."