Former EastEnders star Cheryl Fergison has opened up about her son’s relationship with his father.
The actress, who played Heather Trott in the BBC soap for five years, revealed her teenage son’s father "disowned" him after he learned he was gay. The 56-year-old praised her son, Alex, while speaking on an episode of The Fundamental Guide to Life podcast as she touched upon the adversity the young actor and writer has overcame in his life so far, according to OK! Magazine.
The mum-of-one said: “When he came out at 16 his dad disowned him. He doesn't speak to him. He's been through that and I've re-married since and everybody is accepting in our family now. In his 22 years of life, he has gone through the mill and back. But whatever has happened we have been side-by-side. As long as he's happy and healthy that is all that matters."
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Cheryl revealed she regularly visits drag clubs with her son and was an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and equal rights long before he was even born. She also admitted she often discusses the community with Birkenhead -born TV presenter Paul O’Grady and is thankful to see the world progressing.
Speaking more on some of the difficulties her son encountered growing up, she added: “He suffered from ADHD, he went to a behavioural school. The world wanted to put him on medication, but I ended up taking him off it. He could've been a really naughty boy and ended up with not a fantastic life.
"But I decided to take control and say, 'There's nothing wrong with him, he just wants to do his own thing and if he wants to wear a dress then so be it. If he wants to put make-up on then so be it. Now, he's an amazingly, rounded young man who has been through challenges."
Apart from discussing the close bond she shares with Alex, Cheryl admitted she would like to participate in a future episode of ITV's I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, but believes she has been banned by from the show after appearing on Celebrity Big Brother in 2012.
She said: "I've desperately wanted to, the whole of my life, even pre-Big Brother, do the Jungle. But unfortunately, if you've done Big Brother you cannot go into the Jungle. For some reason ITV think it's too near. I think it's silly."
