Actress Sheridan Smith has cancelled her appearance at the Royal Variety Performance following the death of her father, Colin Smith, who had been battling cancer earlier this year.
Smith was scheduled to perform songs from the musical Funny Girl at the event, set to take place at the Hammersmith Apollo on 6 December. A representative confirmed the news, stating: 'Sheridan's much-loved father sadly passed away this week,' and requested privacy for the family during this difficult time.
This is not the first time Smith has had to step back from professional commitments due to her father's illness. In March, she withdrew from several performances of Funny Girl after learning of his diagnosis. She later took a break citing stress and exhaustion, returning to the show in July. Smith is scheduled to embark on a UK tour with the musical from February.
Colin Smith was a supportive presence in his daughter's career, accompanying her to the 2011 Olivier Awards where she won Best Actress in a Musical for her role in Legally Blonde. In a previous interview, Sheridan revealed that her parents performed as a country and western duo called The Daltons, and she would join them on stage from the age of four.
