Sheridan Smith is beloved no matter what she turns her hand to – and one of many reasons she is adored by audiences is her honest and frank approach to discussing her health.
The mum-of-one, 42, has been particularly candid about her mental health, from various diagnoses to her experiences with medication.
She also expressed her fears in her 2020 documentary Sheridan Smith: Being Mum.
Sheridan also previously opened up about how one upsetting experience with Wheel of Fortune host Graham Norton – which she regarded as a “final straw” at the time – threatened her health.
Sheridan Smith and her mental health
TV actress Sheridan recalled how an awards event in 2016 “sent her off the deep end”.
She was nominated for a BAFTA for her performance in The C Word.
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When she didn’t win, cameras captured Sheridan looking disappointed.
However, she suffered a different blow that night – and she said it had ramifications on her wellbeing.
How Sheridan recalled that night
During her documentary, Sheridan explained how she felt “humiliated” by a joke made about her. And her response had serious health implications.
She said: “Graham Norton was hosting and made a joke, basically at my expense, about me being a drunk.
That night, for me, was like the final straw before my brain totally went off the deep end.
“I was so humiliated, you know, it’s a room full of your peers. And people you want to work with, or have worked with.
“That night, for me, was like the final straw before my brain totally went off the deep end.”
‘Someone was looking out for me’
Unfortunately, Sheridan subsequently decided to stop taking her medication.
She continued: “What people didn’t realise is that I’d become addicted to anti-anxiety tablets.
“I took myself off to a hotel on my own. In my crazy mind, I thought, I’ll do it [stop taking medication] myself.”
But Sheridan quickly discovered her approach was not suitable – with reports suggesting she went on to suffer five seizures.
“It’s like someone was looking out for me,” she added.
“Because what I didn’t realise is that if you stop these tablets abruptly, you seizure.”
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Thankfully, a friend reportedly found Sheridan in her hotel room – and the star was said to have been taken to hospital.
“She’s the one who got me breathing again,” Sheridan added.
Wheel of Fortune is on Saturday (January 20) at 6pm on ITV1.
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