‘Sam is a victim and a fighter!’

Sheridan Smith plays single mum Sam who turns to criminality in ITV drama Cleaning Up

Sheridan Smith can’t be too used to going unnoticed but in this new series she plays Sam, one of an army of cleaners working by night in a London stockbrokers’ office.

Sam’s also a gambling addict and is battling her ex-husband Dave, played by Matthew Mcnulty, who’s threatening to take custody of their two daughters.

‘She never gives up. She takes knock after knock and

just keeps wanting to fight back,’ says Sheridan. ‘She might lose her house. It’s all coming down around her, because of her gambling.’ Then one night, Sam overhears a conversation about insider trading and realises this could be a way to make money and get her life back on track.

‘It’s a different world for Sam but she’s savvy and smart. She’s a chameleon,’ says Sheridan. ‘She’s not educated like all these bankers playing the stock market but she can fit into that world if she wants to.’

As Sam steps deeper and deeper into the illegal world of insider trading, she must hold her nerve or face getting caught.

‘I hope the audience will be rooting for Sam. She’s a victim but also a fighter. The girls are her life. She’s flawed and makes some bad decisions but she’s got a big heart.’ ● Cleaning Up is on ITV

‘I hope the audience roots for her’