Cheryl Fergison has voiced her anger at a driver who took a disabled parking space despite not having a blue badge. The 60-year-old actress, known for playing Heather Trott in EastEnders, was granted the badge after suffering a stroke last year, which limits how far she can walk.
On Sunday, the soap star took to Instagram to vent after encountering another road user who parked in a disabled bay without displaying a badge. Fergison said she "needed" the space because of her inability to walk far.
Rant at 'Ignorant and Entitled' Driver
In her post, she addressed the driver directly: "To the person with the white car and the two bikes on the back of it, who clearly didn't have a disabled badge, and parked in the disabled bay - you know who you are. I had a bit of a rant at you, you ignored me and didn't acknowledge me but I saw you. I acknowledged you. Let me tell you something - don't park in a disabled bay when you're not disabled and you don't have a blue badge."
She continued: "They're for people who have blue badges who need to be in that space. Okay?" The former Celebrity Big Brother star explained that her health issues mean she cannot walk as far as others, which is why she needed the space.
Health Struggles and Fan Support
Fergison said: "So, sorry, if you don't have a blue badge, don't park in a disabled bay. It's as simple as that! I have a disabled badge at the moment because of my stroke last year, because I can't walk as far as, clearly, the person next to me could have done. Or even ride a bike. I wish I could ride a bike like they had on the back of the car. Even sometimes when I've left my badge at home, I park in a normal car parking space. I would never dream of parking in a disabled bay or a child and parent bay if I didn't have a child with me or my disabled badge. You know who you are. Ignorant and entitled. That's what you are!"
In the caption of her post, she wrote: "Let this be a reminder to speak up for injustice and to always challenge ignorant people, also DON’T PARK IN A DISABLED SPACE IF YOU DON’T# HAVE A BLUE BADGE !"
Fans praised her for speaking out. One commented: "I couldn't agree more, see this all the time, along with people without young children parking in parent and child spaces. If you need a blue badge, go and apply for one! I know it's not an easy process, but it's worth doing." Another wrote: "Well said, Cheryl. We see it all the time where no badge is displayed. It's disgraceful. Don't blame you at all for your rant," and a third added: "Proper cheeky behaviour! Selfish to the core. Your rant is well justified Cheryl!"
Stroke Ordeal
Towards the end of last year, Fergison spoke to The Mirror about her health ordeal, describing how she "started to feel funny, with a really bad headache at the back of my head." She said: "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, she called her son Alex, who "worked with elderly people and recognised the symptoms. He phoned an ambulance straight away." Fergison, who had surgery for cancer of the womb in 2015, was rushed to hospital in Blackpool, where doctors confirmed she had suffered a stroke. The illness left her unable to walk, and she said she had to "retrain her brain" and use a walking stick.
