Sheridan Smith dropped out of her run of Funny Girl after her father’s cancer diagnosis caused her to ‘lose the plot’.
And the actress is now explaining what led her to leave the critically acclaimed production at London’s Savoy Theatre.
The 37-year-old has admitted she had a ‘massive meltdown’ in 2016 while struggling to cope with her dad Colin’s cancer diagnosis in January; he died that December.
Speaking in the ITV documentary Sheridan Smith: Coming Home, the Cilla star said: ‘I kind of lost it a bit after [my dad] died. I’ve come out the other side now and I need to get it all out through my music. Especially in the public, it looks like I’ve moaned about everything with my Dad dying but that’s not the case, I just had a massive meltdown.
‘As soon as my Dad got that diagnosis it was like “I’m not leaving your side, I’m not leaving you! and my mum was like, “Well, you’ve got to get back, you’ve got the show, you can’t let people down” and rightly so.
‘I know what she is saying, people had bought tickets a year in advance and I hate letting people down.’
However, Sheridan struggled to perform, with reports claiming she was slurring her words and showing up late for her role of Fanny Brice.
She continued: ‘[Her parents] taught me that the show goes on, even if they’re ill and I get that but at the time I was like, “Hang on a minute, reality check, I don’t want to leave my dad”. My dad was saying the same, “Oh love, don’t worry about me” but how can you not, he was my rock.
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‘I just thought “I want to be sat with my dad”, sat on his chair cuddling him. I ran away from that, I ran away from that situation.’
Sheridan dropped out of Funny Girl and was replaced by her understudy Natasha Barnes for the rest of the run.
While Sheridan was devastated by the loss of her dad Colin, she is now happier than she’s ever been after getting engaged to boyfriend Jamie Horn, who she met on Tinder.
While visiting her home of Doncaster for her ITV documentary, the Two Pints Of Lager and a Packet Of Crisps star says: ‘I think I’m the happiest I’ve been right now. Eating a sausage, chips and gravy with the love of my life and my new puppy.’
Sheridan Smith: Coming Home airs on Sunday on ITV at 9.30pm.
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