Actress Erin Doherty has shared a joyful personal update, revealing she has moved in with her NHS radiographer girlfriend, Sinead Donnelly, and happily embraced becoming a 'cliche lesbian' couple. The 33-year-old star of the hit Netflix series Adolescence made the candid confession about her relationship timeline just days after winning her first Critics Choice Award.
A Romantic Admission and a Major Award
Doherty's rare glimpse into her private life comes fresh from a career high. On Sunday evening, she attended a star-studded ceremony in Los Angeles where she won the Critics Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series for her role in the smash-hit Netflix show Adolescence.
Speaking on Fearne Cotton's Happy Place podcast, released on Monday, the actress opened up about her romance with Sinead, 35. "I'm such a romantic. I hate saying goodbye at the end of every day. I hated it. I'm so bad," Doherty admitted. She addressed the well-known stereotype about lesbian couples moving in together quickly, saying, "People say it's like a cliche lesbian thing, where you immediately move in, so we held on as long as we could."
Ultimately, love won out over avoiding the cliche. "But I was like, I really think I should move in now," she continued. "I tried to make it as non-cliche as possible, but I just love her. So at the start of [last] year, I moved in with her and it's been the craziest year of my life."
A Transformative Year and a New Home in North London
The move marked a significant new chapter for Doherty, who went public with Sinead last year following her split from fellow actress Sophie Melville, after a five-year relationship. Prior to meeting Sinead, Doherty had spent a year living with her older sister, actress Grace Doherty, in West Sussex following a difficult period.
"I had moved because I just had hit my peak stimulation and I was just at a real kind of stopping point in my life," Erin explained. Her sister offered a sanctuary, and the time there proved transformative. It was during this period that she met Sinead, who works as an NHS radiographer and lives in North London.
The couple initially travelled to see each other for dates, but the arrangement soon became a strain. "We just came to a place where it was like, as much as I love getting on the trains and going to see her... I also want to wake up next to you. It's like a natural progression," Doherty said. She has since settled into life with Sinead in North London, sharing a sweet photo of them on holiday in Italy last year.
Adolescence Dominates the Critics Choice Awards
Doherty's personal happiness coincides with major professional acclaim. Her series, Adolescence, was a big winner at the Critics Choice Awards, taking home four trophies. The Netflix limited series, which explores the story of a boy drawn into 'incel' culture, won Best Limited Series.
Its young star, 16-year-old Owen Cooper, made history once again by winning Best Supporting Actor, while Stephen Graham won Best Actor. Doherty's win for Best Supporting Actress completed the show's impressive haul. The series has averaged around 45 million views per month, resonating with global audiences.
In her interview, Doherty also reflected on her journey to accepting her sexuality, telling Diva magazine last year it took her "a really, really long time" to fully acknowledge she was gay. Now, happily living with her partner and celebrating career success, the actress appears to be in a profoundly positive new phase of her life.
