Sheridan Smith, the acclaimed British actress known for her powerful performances in productions like Cilla and The Teacher, has courageously opened up about a deeply distressing episode from her past. A decade after a seemingly offhand remark by television host Graham Norton left her feeling publicly shamed, Smith is now reclaiming her narrative and shedding light on the severe consequences that followed.
The Bafta Ceremony That Changed Everything
During the 2016 British Academy Television Awards ceremony, host Graham Norton made what many perceived as a lighthearted quip that targeted Sheridan Smith directly. The actress was then navigating an immensely challenging period, having recently stepped away from her starring role as Fanny Brice in the West End production of Funny Girl. Official statements from the show's producers cited stress and exhaustion as the reasons for her absence, a situation compounded by her father Colin's terminal cancer diagnosis.
However, Norton's joke suggested a different, more scandalous narrative. Addressing the star-studded audience, he quipped, “We’re all excited for a couple of drinks tonight. Or, as it’s known in theatrical circles, a few glasses of technical difficulties.” For Smith, seated among her peers, the comment was not humorous but devastatingly humiliating.
A Spiral Into Crisis
In a recent, candid interview with The Times, the now 44-year-old actress reflected on the profound impact of that moment. “You’re embarrassed. I felt ashamed, and I still sometimes feel it, like, ‘Oh, I wish that part of my life hadn’t happened,’” she confessed. Smith described the joke as the “final straw” before her mental health deteriorated severely.
Unbeknownst to anyone at the glamorous event, the aftermath was catastrophic. Overwhelmed by shame and battling a secret addiction to anti-anxiety medication, Smith retreated to a hotel room alone. In a desperate and misguided attempt to regain control, she abruptly stopped taking her prescribed tablets. This dangerous decision triggered a medical emergency.
“What I didn’t realise is, that if you stop the tablets abruptly, you seizure,” Smith revealed in her ITV documentary, Sheridan Smith: Becoming Mum. She suffered five consecutive seizures, during which she stopped breathing, and was rushed to Accident and Emergency. Her life was likely saved only by the timely intervention of a friend who found her.
Reclaiming The Narrative A Decade Later
Nearly ten years on, Sheridan Smith is processing the trauma with remarkable clarity and self-compassion. She emphasises that the blame does not lie with Graham Norton or the producers of Funny Girl, but with the immense personal pressures she was under. “That was no one’s fault. That was just on me. I was in a bad state at the time,” she stated, while also acknowledging that public discourse around mental health has evolved, suggesting “it maybe wouldn’t happen now. It is a bit kinder now.”
Her decision to speak out is framed as an act of reclamation. “It’s reclaiming it because after what happened … I didn’t ever want it to get out so publicly,” she explained. Drawing a parallel to her tattoos, she accepts this painful chapter as an indelible, if regrettable, part of her life story.
Sheridan Smith's powerful testimony highlights the very real, and often hidden, human cost of public scrutiny and off-the-cuff remarks. Her journey from humiliation to hospitalisation, and now to healing, serves as a stark reminder of the importance of kindness and the complex realities behind celebrity headlines.
