Sheridan Smith: 'The public always stood by me'
The Bafta and Olivier Award-winning actress discusses her new West End play and how it helped her overcome past struggles with her mental health.
She was first on our screens 25 years ago with sitcoms like The Royle Family and has since firmly established herself as a star of the stage with hits like Legally Blonde and Funny Girl.
But Sheridan Smith has also struggled – sometimes silently, sometimes publicly – with alcohol and her mental health, particularly after the death of her father.
In her latest play 'Opening Night' she plays a character with more than a few parallels with real life: Myrtle Gordon, an alcoholic Broadway legend struggling with her mental health on the eve of her latest show.
In this episode of the 5 Minutes On podcast, the BBC's culture correspondent Charlotte Gallagher speaks to Sheridan Smith about the new role and how it helped to rebuild her self confidence.
(Image: Gielgud Theatre)
