10 Things you need to know about about Sheridan Smith’s one-off special
The actress and singer joins Alexander Armstrong, a live band and an audience for an evening of songs and chats
1 She’s one of the hottest stars in the UK right now, so it was only a matter of time before Sheridan Smith was given a one-off special. Hosted by Alexander Armstrong, the show sees the actress and singer perform her favourite musical numbers and chat to the presenter in front of an audience about her life and career.
2 A live band, led by Grammy award-winning composer Steve Sidwell, joins Sheridan on stage as she powers through songs including Don’t Rain On My Parade, Anyone Who Had A Heart, City Of Stars and an emotional version of the Dreamgirls hit And I Am Telling You, which has Sheridan in tears.
3 Having starred in numerous stage productions, including Funny Girl and Legally Blonde – for which she won an Olivier Award – there’s no denying Sheridan’s passion for the theatre as she chats to Alexander.
4 In between tunes, Sheridan, who was awarded an OBE in 2015, and Alexander discuss some of the awards she’s scooped in the last few years, such as a Bafta for Best Leading Actress in Mrs Biggs in 2012 and a National Television Award for Outstanding Drama Performance for her role in 2014’s Cilla.
5 Sheridan also addresses her personal life on the show, admitting: “I’m such a disaster when it comes to relationships,” and sings Crazy by Gnarls Barkley as a “cheeky wink to my meltdown last year”.
6 The ‘meltdown’ refers to the tough time she had when her beloved dad Colin died from cancer aged 80. Sheridan – who has a ‘Daddy’s Girl’ tattoo on her arm – credits him for her comedy skills as well as nurturing her love of music, along with her mum Marilyn. Together, her parents made up a country- and-western duo and a video clip shows a seven-year-old Sheridan joining them for a song on stage. She says of Colin: “He was the one who taught me to laugh at myself and not take life too seriously.”
7 Sheridan also reveals she is a fan of country music superstar Dolly Parton, and says if she ever gets married she wants her hen party to be at Dollywood in Tennessee, USA. “I would love to play Dolly Parton!” she says. “I think I’d cry if I met her.”
8 Sheridan’s early career is also touched upon. Although she didn’t train at drama school, she quickly gained further job offers after starring in West End musical Bugsy Malone aged 16 and learnt her craft as she went along.
9 TV roles soon followed, and she got her first big break on The Royle Family in 1999, playing Anthony’s girlfriend Emma. “They were so lovely to me – what a great first job. I learnt so much from the cast,” she smiles. She went on to star as Smithy’s sister Rudi in Gavin & Stacey and even performs the rap she did with James Corden in the hit comedy.
10 The programme coincides with the launch of her first album, Sheridan, which was released last week. It features songs from tomorrow night’s show as well as other numbers, including Addicted To Love. “They came to me to do an album after Legally Blonde and Cilla and I didn’t have the guts to do it,” Sheridan explains. “My dad kept saying: ‘Why don’t you just do it?’ When Funny Girl ended they asked again and I thought it’d be a nice thing to dedicate to my dad. He’d be so proud.”
NEW! Sheridan Sunday 9pm ITV