I got out of bed and my whole right side felt numb & tingly

THESE days when TV favourite Cheryl Fergison has a cup of coffee, she has to use both hands to steady the cup.

- LYDIA VELJANOVSKI and SUE LEE

This is because her right hand is too unreliable on its own since she suffered a stroke in May.

Opening up about the impact of the stroke, the actress, 59, reveals: "It was probably one of the lowest times in my life. 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."

Speaking exclusively to this newspaper ahead of the release of her explosive new memoir, Behind the Scenes, the mum-of-one best known as loveable Heather Trott in EastEnders - reveals she was at home watching television when she realised something was wrong.

ANGER

She recalls: "I started to feel funny, with a really bad headache at the back of my head.

"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."

Fearing the worst, Cheryl called her son Alex. She says: "He worked with elderly people and recognised the symptoms. He phoned an ambulance straight away."

Cheryl, who lives in Cleveleys, Lancs, was rushed to hospital in Blackpool, where doctors confirmed she had had a stroke.

It left her unable to walk - initially she needed three people to help her to the loo and she still uses a stick and has physiotherapy.

The actress says: "I have had to retrain my brain. I couldn't even pick up a penny at first.

"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."

Being ill has given her pause to reflect, she admits, especially as she is about to turn 60.

She says: "Material things don't matter. They can be lost or broken but memories are everything. Friends, family and laughter - that's all that matters.