Sheridan Smith has spoken candidly about the mental health struggles that led to her very public breakdown in 2016. The Bafta-winning actor, who stars in new ITV drama Cleaning Up, admitted she 'fell apart' and 'lost her mind' during a period when she was silently battling alcohol and panic attacks.
Reflecting on her collapse, Smith recalled appearing on Who Do You Think You Are? before her difficulties became known. While tracing her family history, she discovered her great-grandfather was an alcoholic who attempted suicide in front of police. 'I'm sat there on TV saying, Oh! Really! That's so interesting... But you can see the tears start rolling down my face. And in my head I'm thinking, my God, the parallels,' she said.
At the time, Smith was keeping her problems hidden from the public. She had experienced a downward spiral in 2016, missing curtain calls and posting drunken tweets after a joke was made about her at the Baftas. She said she was 'not being honest with anyone about how much I was struggling, with drink, with my mental health'.
Now 37, Smith says a combination of proper treatment, a stable relationship and rewarding work have helped her recover. She is promoting Cleaning Up, a six-part ITV drama about a cleaner with an addiction to online gambling, and has also recorded an album of original songs.
Despite her success, Smith admitted she has never been good at self-promotion, recalling a media training course early in her career when she was told she answered questions too honestly. She now feels freer talking about her difficulties, hoping others might benefit from her openness.
