EastEnders icon Cheryl Fergison teases BBC return 13 years on from Heather Trott’s d.e.a.t.h

Cheryl Fergison has teased she is working on a BBC project – 13 years after her EastEnders character was k.i.l.l.e.d off.

The 59-year-old actress is best known for playing loveable Albert Square resident Heather Trott who was brutally murdered by Ben Mitchell back in 2012. She later reprised her character for a voiceover return in 2016 as Dot Cotton found a mixtape that had been created by Heather and fellow EastEnders character Shirley Carter, played by Linda Henry.

Since leaving the soap, Cheryl has appeared in a range of projects – from British film White Island to comedy series Mr. Bigstuff, the mockumentary series Hard Cell to appearing in panto. The TV icon has been keeping fans up to date with her work projects and in a new post, she has teased that she is set to work with the BBC again.

Taking to TikTok this week, Cheryl said: “I’ve been packing, getting ready for London next week. Going to be doing a little secret project. Then, I will be filming for the BBC. And then I will be going to The Groove Chorus, working with the beautiful Groove Chorus at The Clapham Ground on the 21st and 22nd.”

The actress is well loved for playing Heather Trott on EastEnders ( Image: BBC)

Last month it was revealed that Cheryl had landed a role in hit BBC comedy Mandy. The series, written and starring Diane Morgan as a spin-off of Sky comedy series Rovers, has been on the air since 2019 on BBC Two and a fourth season was confirmed in January this year.

Cheryl’s role has not yet been revealed, but she joins the cast which also stars Michelle Greenidge and Tom Basden, who Diane performed alongside in the hit Netflix comedy show After Life. Speaking about the upcoming fourth season of Mandy, BBC’s Director of Comedy Jon Petrie said in January: “Series 3 saw Mandy save a plane from a terrorist attack, commit mass murder with a blowpipe, and get fired from a biscuit factory.

“Mandy gets bigger, bolder, and more brilliantly absurd with every series – and we’re here for every hilarious moment of Diane Morgan’s brilliant creation.” The show follows Diane’s titular character who finds wacky ways of making money while trying to avoid her benefits officer,

Acting talent including Sian Gibson, Rosie Cavaliero, Jamie Bisping and Joanna Bacon have also joined the show for the upcoming fourth season. Last year, Cheryl – who revealed in 2024 that she underwent a hysterectomy after being diagnosed with womb cancer – revealed she had been conned out of huge amounts of money – leaving fans shocked and devastated for her.

Appearing on TV’s This Morning, she revealed: “There is a circumstance that started this, which I can’t talk about at this moment in time, but it started to spiral. The only way I can say it is I was conned out of a humongous amount of money.”

She added at the time: “That led to the cancer thing and everything spiralled. I was robbing Peter to pay Paul. I ended up having to sell my house. Now I am living up north and renting.”