‘I am the crazy dog lady’
As actress Sheridan Smith takes on her first-ever TV presenting role, she tells Yours about her love of animals amd how her baby son Billy has inspired her
She’s one of the country’s most versatile and talented actresses, but Sheridan Smith has never turned her talents to TV presenting, that is, until now!
Sheridan (39) says it’s her sixmonth-old son Billy who gave her the confidence to try something new – and she has loved every minute hosting BBC’s new entertainment series, Pooch Perfect. The show sees ten professional dog groomers battle it out in a series of themed challenges to compete to be crowned the UK’s top dog stylist.
And for Sheridan, she couldn’t have dreamt of a better programme to be part of if she tried.
“I am the crazy dog lady,” she enthuses.
“I’ve got six dogs, four donkeys and a baby, so this job was perfect!
I actually had to promise my mum, though, that I wouldn’t bring any more livestock home!
“It is my first
TV presenting job and I was nervous beforehand. Everyone was so welcoming and it was a lot of fun to make but I wouldn’t have had the nerve to do it if I didn’t have Billy. I really do hope the show will bring some light relief at this horrible time – 2020 was such a strange year.”
Each week, the ten contestants will face a variety of challenges with different dog breeds and they will be judged by grooming experts Colin Taylor and Verity Hardcastle. Like in Bake Off and Strictly Come Dancing, one of the contestants will be eliminated each week. “I found that bit emotional,” admits Sheridan. “I loved all the people taking part. “But what this programme does show is how important dog groomers are. What really made me laugh in lockdown is all the videos people made of them trying to groom their own dogs! I was in awe watching the groomers compete and I’ve picked up lots of tips.”
Part of the appeal of
Pooch Perfect was also the fact she could bring Billy, who was born during lockdown, along to the set.
“Billy was in the green room next door so I could pop in and see him,” she explains. “He loved it – dogs are so much part of our family.”
Reflecting on her love affair with one of the nation’s favourite pets, Sheridan reveals she has been crazy about dogs ever since she was a child growing up in Lincolnshire. Her big dream, she admits, was to be surrounded by dogs and animals.
And so the fact she can now do that with Billy is the icing on the cake.
“Ever since I was a child, I’ve loved dogs but we couldn’t afford one,” she confides. “Everyone knew I was dog mad, so when I bought my own place the first thing I did was to get a Pug called Barry Manilow!
“I’ve had lots of dogs since and I currently have two great Danes, Trevor and Dave, two Boston Terriers, Ronnie and Reggie, and two Chihuahuas, Bernard and Dumbo. They are all best mates and they are all amazing!
“The fact I can do what I always dreamed of with Billy now is lovely.”
‘We were one of the first TV shows to film with Covid regulations and everything was in place to make sure we were two metres apart’
Last month, Sheridan and her fiancé, Jamie, moved home with their entourage of animals. “It’s our little family,” she explains.
“I am lucky because Jamie is at home all day with Billy and the dogs. You have such a wonderful lifelong bond with them.
“It’s that unconditional love and they always sense everything. Even when I was pregnant, one of my dogs, Reggie, became super protective!”
Relaxed and happy, Sheridan admits she feels very fortunate to be back working when so many of her colleagues are still unable to return to work. “I’m so grateful,” she confides. “We were one of the first TV shows to film with Covid regulations and everything was in place to make sure we were two metres apart. They did an amazing job to make it so slick, but it was awful not being able to hug as I am normally such a hugger!”
Grateful to have so many projects lined up for 2021 as well, Sheridan says she has never taken anything for granted over a career that has spanned more than 20 years. Landing her big TV break in the Royle Family in 1999 and going on to star in Two Pints of Lager and A Packet of Crisps, Gavin and Stacey, Benidorm, and ITV’s gritty docu-dramas The Widower and The Moorside, Sheridan has won many plaudits over the years for playing phenomenal women such as the iconic Cilla Black. In 2015, she was awarded an OBE for services to drama – an honour she is still proud of today.
And while she most definitely does not rest on her laurels, Sheridan says she is happiest at home with her ‘gorgeous fella’ Jamie. The couple have just enjoyed the most incredible and special first Christmas with Billy.
It was also very poignant, Sheridan reveals, because it was the first time she didn’t feel sad following the death of her beloved dad, Colin, in early December 2016, “Christmas has been fine but it hasn’t felt right before,” she explains. “Now with Billy, it’s been so magical and I was so excited in the run up. And now I have got years and years more with him to come! I am looking forward to doing with him all the little rituals we used to do when I was a child.”
Returning back to her pet love of dogs, Sheridan adds: “Pooch Perfect has been such a joyous job. And I know how much people have loved having dogs during lockdown. They are great companionship when you are on your own.”
■ Pooch Perfect starts on BBC1 on Thursday, January 7