TRADING PLACES
SHERIDAN SMITH plays a down-on-her-luck office cleaner who takes a huge gambleé
new drama Cleaning Up wednesday, ITV Hd, 9pm Following her all-singing, ALL-DANCING PERFORMANCE IN MUSICAL Funny Girl OVER CHRISTMAS, THE VERSATILE SHERIDAN SMITH MAKES A SPEEDY RETURN TO OUR SCREENS THIS WEEK IN A VERY DIFFERENT ROLE. IN ITV’S NEW SIX-PART DRAMA Cleaning Up, THE 37-YEAR-OLD STAR PLAYS AN OFFICE CLEANER WHO SEES A WAY TO TURN HER LIFE AROUND WHEN SHE VENTURES INTO THE MURKY WORLD OF INSIDER TRADING.
HER CHARACTER, SINGLE MUM SAM, WORKS THROUGH THE NIGHT CLEANING OFFICES IN LONDON’S CANARY WHARF TO PROVIDE FOR HER TWO DAUGHTERS, ALICE AND LILY. BUT WITH AN ONLINE GAMBLING ADDICTION AND HUGE DEBTS, SHE NEEDS TO FIND A WAY OUT OF HER FINANCIAL HOLE.
DURING ONE NIGHT SHIFT, SHE OVERHEARS DODGY STOCK-MARKET TRADER BLAKE (BEN BAILEY SMITH) PLOTTING SOME INSIDER TRADING – BUYING STOCKS AND SHARES
FOR PERSONAL GAIN. DESPITE IT BEING HIGHLY ILLEGAL, SAM THINKS THIS COULD BE THE ANSWER TO ALL HER PROBLEMS AND HATCHES AN ELABORATE PLAN WITH FRIEND AND CO-WORKER JESS (JADE ANOUKA) TO GET A PIECE OF THE ACTION. BUT WILL THEIR GAMBLE PAY OFF?
WE CHATTED TO SMITH TO FIND OUT MORE…
WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT SAM? SHE’S A GREAT MUM, BUT SHE’S STRUGGLING. SHE’S ON A ZERO-HOURS CONTRACT TRYING TO MAKE MONEY, BUT SHE’S GOT A GAMBLING ADDICTION AND IS MASSIVELY IN DEBT. SHE’S FLAWED, BUT HAS A GOOD HEART.
‘Sam sees it as her chance to make a better life for herself’
SHERIDAN SMITH
DOES SAM HAVE THE SKILLS TO GET INVOLVED IN INSIDER TRADING? SAM’S REALLY SAVVY AND SMART; SHE JUST HASN’T HAD THE BREAKS THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD. BUT BEING A GAMBLING ADDICT MEANS SHE’S GOOD WITH NUMBERS AND HAS A VERY QUICK MIND. SO WHEN SHE HEARS WHAT BLAKE IS UP TO, SHE DOES SOME RESEARCH AND PICKS IT UP REALLY QUICKLY.
DOES SAM REALLY THINK SHE CAN GET
RICH QUICK? THE TRADERS DON’T EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE THAT SAM AND THE OTHER CLEANERS ARE THERE. SO SHE THINKS, ‘HANG ON, I COULD BE ONTO SOMETHING REALLY BIG HERE.’ IT’S THAT BUZZ SAM GETS FROM GAMBLING; SHE’S A REAL RISK-TAKER.
WHAT SAM DOES IS ILLEGAL. WILL
VIEWERS SYMPATHISE? I HOPE SO. THIS DRAMA ASKS: IF YOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE BIG MONEY, EVEN
THOUGH IT’S ILLEGAL, WOULD YOU TAKE IT? I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD GO, ‘IF THE TRADERS ARE DOING IT, THEN GO ON, GIRL!’ I KNOW I WOULD.
SAM BELIEVES SHE’S NOT HURTING ANYONE AND SEES IT AS HER CHANCE TO GET OUT OF THIS DEBT AND MAKE A BETTER LIFE FOR HERSELF AND HER KIDS. I’M HOPING PEOPLE WILL BE WILLING HER TO DO WELL.
YOUR CHARACTER IS A CLEANER – WHAT UNGLAMOROUS JOBS HAVE
YOU DONE? I WORKED IN A BURGER VAN IN DONCASTER BEFORE I MOVED TO LONDON. I GOT FREE BURGERS AND I LOVED IT! I LOVED CHATTING TO PEOPLE AND GETTING THEM TO SHARE THEIR STORIES. I’VE NEVER BEEN A CLEANER, BUT I HAD A CLEANING LESSON FOR THIS ROLE.
BUT HAVING SAID THAT, I DON’T CLEAN AT ALL AT HOME…
IF YOU HAD ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD, WOULD YOU GIVE UP
ACTING? NO, I LOVE IT TOO MUCH. I’M JUST GRATEFUL TO BE DOING IT. I LOVE WORKING AND I LOVE MEETING PEOPLE – IT FEELS LIKE FAMILY EVERY TIME YOU GO ONTO A JOB. I DON’T THINK I COULD EVER GIVE IT UP.