EastEnders star Cheryl Fergison fell for Moroccan husband Yassine, 21 years her junior, after meeting online: “I flew across the world to meet him… and never looked back.”
Cheryl Fergison, best known as Heather Trott on EastEnders, has shared the story of a romance that rivals any soap storyline. In excerpts from her explosive memoir, Behind the Scenes, Cheryl reveals how she fell head over heels for Moroccan computer technician Yassine “Yas” el Jamouni, 21 years her junior.
The pair first connected online. Cheryl, 45 at the time, was a divorced single mother balancing her career and parenting. Yas, 24, lived in a suburb of Agadir, Morocco, and spent his days fixing computers and teaching himself English. Their digital friendship quickly blossomed into something far more intimate.
A Modern Love Story Begins
Cheryl writes about their early exchanges: “We typed to each other late into the night. I was basically his human Duolingo.” Photos and messages helped them grow closer. Cheryl was drawn to Yas’s brooding good looks, caramel skin, and charm. But it was their innocent conversations that captured her heart.
Their relationship intensified as they began nightly Skype calls. Yas would sign off each call with, “Goodnight, beautiful.” One night, he whispered, “I think I love you,” and Cheryl whispered back the same words. She knew she wanted to meet him in person.
Crossing Continents for Love
Cheryl’s leap of faith took her to Gatwick Airport and onward to Casablanca, then Agadir. Anxiety ran high: she had never been to Morocco, didn’t speak the language fluently, and was about to meet Yas for the first time.
Her nerves disappeared the moment they touched hands upon meeting. “I knew the second I saw you, Cheryl. That you were my future wife,” Yas told her. Just months later, they tied the knot in a small Moroccan civil ceremony on May 2, 2011. Cheryl recalls, “It was the worst wedding I’ve ever been to — a tiny tiled room with a man who looked like Mr. Bean marrying us. But it was ours, and it was perfect for us.”
Overcoming Life’s Toughest Challenges
Cheryl’s happiness was later tested by a devastating cancer diagnosis in 2015. She was informed she had stage II womb cancer and required a hysterectomy. The news hit her like a soap opera plotline. “My first thought was, am I going to die? My second, how do I tell Alex? Then Yas popped into my head.”
Despite facing premature menopause and the struggles that came with it — brain fog, hot flushes, mood swings — Cheryl remained resilient. She describes one humorous moment during her recovery: “The next morning I go to heat up some milk, and there were my keys… in the microwave. Brilliant.”
Her memoir captures the combination of heartbreak, humor, and perseverance that has defined her personal journey.
A Love Story That Endures
Cheryl’s romance with Yas is proof that love can be found in unexpected places and across continents. With the support of her husband and close friends like EastEnders legend Steve McFadden, Cheryl’s story celebrates courage, passion, and the willingness to take risks for love.
Shedding light on personal struggles, Cheryl’s memoir also offers insight into the challenges of health battles and navigating life after divorce. Yet through it all, her love story with Yas stands as a testament to enduring romance and the excitement of new beginnings, no matter the age difference.