Actress in a ‘good place’ after struggle

SHERIDAN SMITH has said she is “finally in a good place” after struggling with her mental health.

The actress, inset – who comes from Lincolnshire – hit the headlines when she pulled out of a number of shows for West End musical Funny Girl, later saying she “just couldn’t continue – I lost my mind”.

The 37-year-old has now told BBC Breakfast that she was wrongly diagnosed for many years.

Smith, who plays a mother struggling with schizophrenia in a new film, told the programme: “It’s taken me years to get to a place where I felt like I could own it and then say it. It was speculated that I was struggling.

“There were different doctors giving me different medication but I’m finally in a good place.

“It did take a massive thing to come out and actually say ‘I’m struggling and I need help’, so I understand that it is hard for people.” Asked what helped her most, she said: “Eventually, I opened up to family members and people could see as well that I was gradually declining and struggling. “Eventually, after years of going on different medication and just being wrongly diagnosed, I’ve got the right doctor now and I’m in a great place. “It’s perseverance but you do get there.” Smith stars in 1980s-set film The More You Ignore Me,

penned by comedian and former psychiatric nurse Jo Brand.

“It’s a very hot topic at the moment and a very important topic so I’m thrilled to be part of it,” she said. “We have come a long way (but) I think we can go further.”

Smith was born in Epworth, Lincolnshire, the daughter of Colin and Marilyn Smith, who performed as a country music duo called the Daltons. She studied dance from an early age.