12 must-see Sheridan Smith TV shows
From comedy favourite to BAFTA winner!
Sheridan Smith has quietly become one of British television’s most reliable scene-stealers. From Two Pints and Gavin and Stacey to Cilla and The Cage - she's the kind of actor who can make you laugh in a sitcom, break your heart in a drama, and still feel completely ordinary on screen. She started out in comedy before moving into heavier roles that proved she could carry serious, emotional television just as easily.
Along the way, she’s picked up some of British TV and stage’s biggest honours, including a BAFTA, two Olivier Awards and an OBE, cementing her status as one of the country’s most versatile and best-loved performers.
What are Sheridan Smith's top TV shows?
The Royle Family (1999–2000)
Sheridan Smith appeared in The Royle Family as Emma Kavanagh - Antony James Royle's (Ralf Little) girlfriend, in one of the sitcom's later stretches as a recurring character. Despite being an entry-level TV role, it already demonstrates her natural comic timing and slightly bemused presence that would become one of her calling cards and obviously where the Two Pints' couple - Janet and Johnny - would first meet! The show itself is one of Britain's best-loved comedies, built around the everyday minutia of the working-class living room, and Sheridan's part slots neatly into the family's dynamic.
Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps (2001–2011)
This was the role that made Sheridan Smith a proper household name - playing Janet Keogh across the long-running BBC sitcom. Janet is the emotional centre of the group - funny, blunt, warm and constantly dragged through the chaos of romance, friendship and bad decisions in Runcorn pubs. The series became a cult favourite rather than a trophy magnet, but Sheridan's performance was a huge reason viewers kept coming back and why the show still gets nostalgic love now! It also marked a notable on-screen reunion - bringing Sheridan back together with Ralf Little as a couple after their time on The Royle Family, adding an extra layer of familiarity for fans and appeal for audiences.
Gavin & Stacey (2008–2010, 2024)
Sheridan played Rudi, Neil 'Smithy' Smith's (James Corden) outrageous sister, in Gavin & Stacey, and it remains one of her most beloved comic turns. Rudi barrels into scenes with loud outfits, louder opinions and relentless teasing, adding chaotic energy to family gatherings and coach trips without ever feeling cartoonish. She later returned for the 2024 reunion special, offering some nostalgic closure to core fans.
Mrs Biggs (2012)
Sheridan played Charmian Biggs in Mrs Biggs, the ITV drama about the wife of Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs. The series follows Charmian from falling in love with Ronnie to the chaos after the 1963 Great Train Robbery, when their family life is turned upside down. It shows the pressures of being married to one of Britain's most notorious criminals, the years spent on the run, and the emotional toll of Ronnie's choices. Sheridan's performance was widely praised as a sensitive, heartbreaking portrait of a woman caught in the shadow of a famous crime.
Cilla (2014)
In Cilla, Sheridan takes on Cilla Black from Liverpool club singer to national TV icon, carrying the biopic almost entirely on her shoulders. She sings, performs and captures Cilla's mix of warmth, ambition and tenacity as the character moves through the '60s music scene and into primetime television. The series lets Sheridan show off musical and dramatic chops at once, which critics loved. The role won her the National Television Award for Outstanding Drama Performance, cementing Cilla as another major awards high point in her TV career.
Black Work (2015)
In Black Work, Sheridan plays Jo Gillespie, a police officer whose husband dies while working undercover. The story mixes raw grief, professional suspicion and a tense investigation, forcing Jo to question colleagues and the man she thought she knew. It's a moody ITV thriller that leans heavily on Sheridan's ability to play both steely determination and vulnerability.
The Moorside (2017)
The Moorside focuses on the community response to the real-life disappearance of nine-year-old Shannon Matthews. Sheridan plays Julie Bushby, one of the local women at the heart of the campaign. Rather than sensationalising the crime, the drama centres on neighbourhood solidarity, media pressure and the painful fallout when the truth emerges. It was well received and praised for its sensitivity.
Four Lives (2022)
Four Lives is a hard-hitting drama about the real-life Stephen Port murders, and Sheridan plays Sarah Sak, mother of victim Anthony Walgate. The series deliberately focuses on the victims' families and the institutional failures around LGBTQ+ men, rather than giving screen time to the killer. Sheridan's Sarah is stubborn, grieving and increasingly angry as she realises how much has gone wrong. The drama drew strong critical respect as serious factual television.
The Teacher (2022)
In The Teacher, Sheridan plays Jenna, a popular secondary school teacher accused of sleeping with a pupil while drunk and then struggling to remember the night in question. The series is all about ambiguity - making the audience constantly question memory, consent and reputation. Sheridan keeps Jenna messy, flawed and sympathetic without ever making her easy to judge. A strong, timely modern thriller.
No Return (2022)
In the four-part drama No Return, Sheridan plays Kathy Powel, a mother whose family holiday in Turkey turns into a nightmare when her teenage son Noah is accused of sexual assault and arrested. The drama follows Kathy's fight to protect her son, navigate a foreign legal system, and keep her family together as the situation spirals out of control. Their seemingly idyllic holiday collapses into crisis after Noah's arrest, as the series explores parental love, guilt, and consent.
I Fought the Law (2025)
I Fought the Law is one of Sheridan's most recent major projects and brings her back to powerful real-life drama. The series is based on the true story of a mother who spends years fighting for justice for her daughter, putting Sheridan in the centre of another emotionally demanding campaign narrative. It continues her run of serious, socially rooted television that includes Mrs Biggs, The Moorside and Four Lives.
The Cage (2026)
Alongside Michael Socha (Matty), Sheridan stars as Leanne in The Cage, a Liverpool casino cashier facing mounting financial and family pressures. When she discovers that a colleague is also stealing from the casino safe, the pair become entangled with criminals and the police. Critics have praised Sheridan's portrayal of a character whose toughness masks vulnerability, bringing emotional depth and humanity to the series' crime-thriller storyline.
Two Birds (2027)
Commissioned on 25th March 2026, Sheridan is also set to star in Two Birds, a six-part ITV mystery thriller set in the remote mining town of Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. She will play British police constable Izzie Cornwell who moves there to escape tragedy but becomes entangled in a murder investigation that exposes local secrets and family tensions.
The cast includes Judy Davis as crime matriarch Mrs Baxter and Stephen Peacocke as homicide detective Matt, with Helen FitzGerald writing and James Griffiths directing. Filming began spring 2026 in Perth and Kalgoorlie, and will air on ITV/STV and stream on ITVX/STV Player.
How old is Sheridan Smith?
She was born on 25th June 1981, making her 45-years-old.
Where is she from?
She is from Epworth, Lincolnshire, and grew up there.
Musical theatre career
Sheridan Smith built her musical theatre career in London’s major venues, beginning with the National Youth Music Theatre and her stage debut as Little Red Riding Hood in Into the Woods at the Donmar Warehouse. She gained wider notice as Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors at the Menier Chocolate Factory, which later transferred to the Duke of York’s Theatre.
Her breakthrough came in 2009 when she originated Elle Woods in Legally Blonde at the Savoy Theatre, winning an Olivier Award. She returned to the Savoy as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl in 2016, then played the Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the London Palladium in 2019. More recently, she starred in Shirley Valentine at the Duke of York’s Theatre in 2023 and Opening Night at the Gielgud Theatre in 2024.
How many albums has Sheridan released?
She has also appeared on cast recordings and collaborations, including a duet with Gary Barlow on 'How Christmas Is Supposed To Be'. So while she’s best known as an actress and musical theatre star, she has also built a respectable recording career with a small but notable album catalogue.
Sheridan Smith’s recording career runs alongside her stage work. She released two solo studio albums - 'Sheridan' in 2017, her debut, and 'A Northern Soul' in 2018. Both drew on her strong theatre and TV profile, but also showed she could sell as a singer in her own right.
Awards and recognition
She has won a BAFTA TV Award for Mrs Biggs, two Olivier Awards for Legally Blonde and Flare Path, and a National Television Award for Cilla, alongside other nominations including BAFTA nods for The C Word and I Fought the Law.
Does she have an OBE?
Yes, she was appointed an OBE in the 2015 New Year Honours for services to drama, and received it from Prince William at Buckingham Palace.
Does she have children?
Yes! Sheridan Smith's son, Billy, is six-years-old years old. He was born in May 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic to the actress and her ex-fiancé, Jamie Horn.
Is she married?
No, she is not currently married but she was engaged to insurance broker Jamie Horn.
Dating history
Sheridan Smith’s public dating history includes James Corden, whom she dated from 2007 to 2009, for about two years. She then reportedly dated Scottish actor Ross McCall in 2010 for a few months, followed by English filmmaker Reg Traviss from September 2012 to January 2013, around four months. In 2017 she was linked to hair stylist Graham Nation briefly.
Her longest and most serious relationship was with insurance broker Jamie Horn, who she began dating in 2018, got engaged to in 2019, had a son with in May 2020, and split from in July 2021, after about three years together. Later, she was also reported to have dated actor Alex Lawler in 2021–2022.