Sheridan Smith felt ‘ashamed of going off the rails’ when dad had terminal cancer

Sheridan Smith has recalled spiralling after her dad’s terminal cancer diagnosis (Picture: Getty)

Sheridan Smith has reflected on how her life spiralled out of control in the wake of her father’s cancer diagnosis.

The British acting icon was devasted in 2016 when her dad, Colin Smith, was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Her family received the heartbreaking news while Sheridan was playing Fanny Brice on stage, with her father’s cancer causing the trauma of Sheridan’s 18-year-old brother, Julian, dying from the same disease when she was just eight to resurface.

Th 42-year-old has described the ordeal as her ‘doubly grieving’.

At the time, she not only missed performances of Funny Girl but took a two-month break from acting.

Overwhelmed with ‘stress’ and ‘exhaustion’, Sheridan began drinking heavily.

The award-winning actress struggled with drinking heavily several years ago (Picture: Dave Benett/Getty Images)

She had become addicted to anti-anxiety medication.

In a new interview with The Times, the theatre star confessed: ‘That’s another thing I felt ashamed of, going off the rails when it was my dad who was suffering.’

Sheridan attended the TV Baftas in 2016, after which she hit rock bottom while in her hotel room.

During the ceremony, host Graham Norton joked: ‘The sooner we begin, the sooner we can have a couple of drinks. Or, as they say in theatrical circles, a couple of glasses of technical difficulties.’

Having been hit hard by the remark, Sheridan decided to stop taking her medication that night.

This led her to have multiple seizures and she was rushed to hospital.

She’s currently on stage in the show Opening Night (Picture: Dave Benett/Getty Images) Sheridan says all performances are for her young son (Picture: Dave Benett/Getty Images)

‘I had no idea that they were addictive like that or that you could have seizures coming off them.’

She then moved back to the countryside to recover.

Sadly, her father died that winter with Sheridan by his side.

Thankfully, the TV star is now in a much better place.

‘I feel the best I’ve ever felt right now,’ she said proudly.

‘I’m playing someone having a breakdown and I’m managing it. I’m leaving it all on the stage and not actually having one in real life so I’m happy.’

She split from Jamie Horn in 2021 (Picture: Instagram)

She’s currently starring in Opening Night, which is based on John Cassavetes’ legendary film.

The plot follows a theatre company’s preparations to stage a new play on Broadway, but drama ignites backstage when their leading lady is rocked by tragedy.

Given the emotionally taxing nature of the story, the Opening Night production has had a therapist on hand for the whole cast.

Sheridan has described all her performances as being dedicated to her young son, Billy.

She split from Billy’s father, Jamie Horn, in 2021, having been briefly engaged after they met on Tinder.

She and her ex co-parent their young son amicably (Picture: Instagram)

He and Sheridan now co-parent amicably, with Billy spending Fridays and Saturdays with his dad.

‘As long as Billy sees that Mummy and Daddy get on, and that he’s loved by all these people,’ Sheridan explained. ‘

My mum and dad stayed together forever, so you do have the mum guilt of going, “God, have I let him down?”‘

She added lovingly: ‘He’s my life, he’s changed my world. It’s all for him.’

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