I sobbed when I was forced to resort to food banks after EastEnders fame - I even sold my home when scammers conned me out of all my money, admits Cheryl Fergison

EastEnders star Cheryl Fergison confessed she 'sobbed' when she was forced to resort to food banks after finding fame on the show as she discussed her financial woes on This Morning.

During Tuesday's instalment of the daytime programme, the actress, 60, bravely spoke about her financial ruin with hosts Cat Deeley , 48, and Dermot O'Leary , 51, and offered advice to viewers at home who may be struggling with debt.

Cheryl, who played Heather Trott in the BBC soap for five years, opened up about using a food bank after appearing on the show.

She said: 'My life sort of paralleled her a little bit in some things, including things like going to the food bank, that's the sort of thing that Heather would have done, I'm sure.'

She continued: 'So, it's weird to know that what I portrayed is something that is happening to millions. It shouldn't be happening but it is.'

Describing the first time she visited the foodbank, she said: 'They were little angels... It didn't matter if they knew me or not, they never, ever showed it.'

'They sat me down, gave me a cup of tea [and] I started sobbing. I sobbed and thought, "Why am I here? I've been on the television, I've been in people's front rooms but I am actually here now".'

'You hear these stories, and I've reported on these stories, and I've done these stories, but I am actually here now.'

'Then they filled my bags up with food, and they asked me if I had an animal... I said, "Yeah, I've got a dog, Rosie" and they said, "Okay, well she needs to eat, so we'll get some food"...'

'I think this is the bit that got me, I was sat there with a cup of tea, with four or five bags of food and the lady said, "Oh, we've got all these tins of Celebrations and chocolates - what we'll do is we put some in bags, and you can go home and have a cup of tea because there's tea bags in there".

Adding: "Just have a little chocolate and have a little sit down and it might help you".'

Cheryl continued: 'I said, "Thank you" and then she just said, "And here's a bunch of daffodils to put on your table, to just look at them and feel brighter". They had thought of everything. They are special.'

Explaining how she felt at the time, Cheryl explained: 'I cannot get that image and what happened to me and that day out of my mind, it was so bittersweet.'

'I was going to Citizens Advice to ask them, "What can I do? This debt is just too much. I'm not sleeping. I'm not functioning very well". My spark had gone.'

On finding herself in debt prior to visiting the foodbank, Cheryl told Cat and Dermot: 'I think that's a perception for everybody, that when you're on the telly, you're earning loads of money all the time, and it's great.'

'I was earning a good wage there [but] I've always lived in council estates, so I'd never really had money.'

'We'd never really been brought up with money, we'd never managed money very well as a family.'

Revealing how she wanted to treat her family once she started earning money from the show, she said: 'When I was in EastEnders, you suddenly get this money, and I thought, "I'm going to treat my friends and my family to holidays and things that they never had"... It was kind of frittered away.'

She added: 'I was stressing to the utmost, sometimes claiming benefits when I was not well [with cancer] but tried not to, because I always see people and I think they're in a worse situation than me, so they need it more than I do.'

'But, it got to the stage where I was kind of going, "Oh, I'll just borrow that, because I'm going to get a job. I know I'll get another job".'

In 2015, Cheryl was sadly diagnosed with womb cancer which left her unable to work.

Crediting the 'lovely, late, great Barbara Windsor and Scott' for 'getting chequebooks out' to help her pay the bills before Cheryl said: 'I ended up having to sell my house. I've sold my house, I've moved up north. I'm renting.'

The star also confessed that she was conned out of a 'humungous' amount of money which she cannot currently discuss.

She said: '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.'

Sharing her advice for those who may find themselves in a similar position, Cheryl said: 'I would say nothing is embarrassing. Talk to the people closest to you who can help seek out the services. Services are there for a reason. They're there to help us.'

'Just go to these people. It's not embarrassing. It's not shameful. It's nothing. You're going to have tears, you're going to have all those things, but you are helping yourself and your close loved ones and you can't help those people unless you're okay in your mind with it, and you've got to get it straight. You know, watch Martin Lewis get some advice from him!'

Earlier this month, it was reported that Cheryl had secured a new role after she was forced to sell old BBC scripts to 'keep food on the table.'

Cheryl was axed from the soap in 2012 when her character was murdered during a whodunit storyline.

The actress admitted that she struggled to find acting work after leaving the soap and had been seen selling memorabilia on Instagram.

However, Cheryl has now revealed she will be starring as the Fairy Godmother in a production of Cinderella in Peterborough for Christmas.

Sharing an update to Instagram, she uploaded a poster of the pantomime and some backstage photos.

Earlier this month in an interview with OK! Magazine , the soap star explained how she had been selling items online to 'keep herself afloat.'

Cheryl said: 'There is unofficial merchandise being sold either online or in various places, I wanted to give true fans a chance to have something of my era at EastEnders.'

'I think that people need to get their heads around the fact we have to earn a living, we are not always fortunate to be filming all the time and working in our chosen and trained profession.'

'I do not want to get into trouble in any way and maybe £50 to some people is not a lot of money, but when it can help to pay an ever-increasing bill or help put a roof over your head and food on the table, just like any other person earning a living, I will continue to buy and sell - and pay tax on it.'

This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV, ITVX, STV and STV Player.