She may have been killed off in EastEnders, but one of the soap's most popular actresses is now set to star in panto in Chatham.

Cheryl Fergison, who played loveable Heather Trott, has been signed up by producers to be the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella at The Central Theatre.

Viewers have just seen Heather murdered by Phil Mitchell's troubled son Ben. He whacked her over the head with a picture frame and fans are now waiting to see if he’ll confess to the killing.

Although best known for her role in the Square, Cheryl has been a familiar face in many popular TV shows including Doctor Who, Little Britain, Casualty, Bad Girls, The IT Crowd, and 'Allo 'Allo.

She said: "I'm thrilled to be playing the part of the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, and I've heard that The Central Theatre and Medway audiences are brilliant, so it's going to be loads of fun."

Pantomime producer Paul Hendy added: "We're really proud and excited that Cheryl will be headlining our cast. She's such a great character both on screen and off, and is hugely popular with viewers of all ages, so we know she's going to go down a storm in Chatham this Christmas."

Cinderella runs from Thursday, December 13 to Sunday, January 6. Further castings will be announced later this summer.