Sheridan Smith's life off screen as she reunites with ex James Corden for Gavin and Stacey
Sheridan Smith delighted Gavin and Stacey fans when it was revealed that she would return to the sitcom for the Christmas finale episode. The actress, 43, previously dated James Corden and played his character Smithy’s sister Rudi in the comedy. A source close to the BBC told The Sun that Smith "stepped straight back into Rudi's shoes" and was "over the moon" to be back on set.
Away from the spotlight, Sheridan has spoken openly about her personal life, including her mental health, her relationship with her son, and her past relationship with co-star James. The actress dated future Late Late show host James, 46, between 2007 and 2009 after the pair met on the set of Fat Friends in 2002 before being cast as brother and sister in Gavin and Stacey. However, by 2008, the pair had confirmed their split, leaving them both available for other romantic pursuits.
But the following year, James revealed that he and Sheridan had rekindled their old flame. He even told The Mirror that Sheridan had been the "love of his life" and hinted at the possibility of wedding bells in the future. He gushed to the newspaper: "Yes, Sheridan and I are back together and it's going brilliantly, I couldn't be happier. I want to marry my girl."
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However, it looked like the Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps actress wasn't on the same page about their love affair - marriage didn’t seem to be in the cards for her. Fast forward to 2009, and their fling fizzled out leaving James "heartbroken" and admitting he felt his world was unravelling at the seams. In a candid chat with The Times, he confessed: "I was heartbroken and lost. I'd had a relationship with Sheridan which was heartbreaking, when you think something might work and it doesn't. And I felt a bit lost.
"And feeling lost, and feeling heartbroken, and feeling single for the first time in your adult life, at the very moment when you become a little bit famous, is quite a potent mix." Bouncing back, James moved in with former The History Boys cast mate Dominic Cooper, who turned Cupid by introducing him to his now-wife and charity ace Julia Carey. Sparks flew and they walked down the aisle in 2012, now parents to Max, Carey, and Charlotte.
Sheridan went on to find love with Jamie Horn after meeting the insurance broker on dating app Tinder in 2018. Sheridan announced she was pregnant October 2019. Initially, she shared a gorgeous snap of herself, cryptically captioned: "Last time I’ll look like this for a while..." However, she later confirmed the baby news after posting a picture of her stage pass, where she wrote: "About to set sail for 4 days, wish me luck with my morning sickness".
After giving birth to son Billy, she took to her Instagram feed to announce the happy news as she shared a photo of her newborn son on Saturday, 9 May. Sheridan, who previously revealed how scared she was of giving birth, gushed over her little bundle of joy as she captioned it: "Our little man has arrived! We are both completely overwhelmed with love," alongside a blue heart emoji.
Sadly, in 2021, Jamie and Sheridan confirmed they were splitting up and calling off their engagement. In a statement released at the time, they told the public that "it is with great sadness that we have decided to have some time apart." They added that the couple "both remain completely committed to raising our beautiful boy Billy together."
The actress was unlucky in love once more when, earlier this year, she called it quits with her boxer boyfriend after their romance 'fizzled out'. Sheridan began dating Dave 'Rocky' Ryan, a former boxer who is also the brother of her friend Sandy Ryan, last year. The Benidorm star posted snaps of him on social media several times in recent months, including the pair enjoying getaways and nights out together.
Sheridan also shared loved-up images of the pair, including one where they were dressed up as they posed for a picture with their arms wrapped around each other. The gorgeous blonde star had posted the image with a single red heart. However, they are now said to have split up, with Sheridan also reportedly signing up to the celebrity dating app Raya - the invite-only app matches single celebrities and A-listers.
A source claimed: "Sheridan decided to end things with Dave a few weeks ago after their romance fizzled out." Speaking to The Sun, they added: "Thankfully her stage show has kept her busy and there is no bad blood after they ended on good terms."
Earlier this year, the actress revealed that she has been diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 42 and says she is now able to "make sense" of a lot of things in her life. The mum-of-one also began seeing a therapist - something she wished she'd done sooner.
Sheridan described how she was constantly "overanalysing" little things as she opened up about her mental health. She candidly opened up about her diagnosis during an interview with Vogue. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a condition that includes symptoms such as being restless and having trouble concentrating. She told the publication: "I'm hoping that this is going to help me regain my power."
Sheridan also went on to say how she is in a WhatsApp group with other mums from her son Billy's school, but is known as 'Shadow Sheridan' as she doesn't chat much in there due to overthinking. Sheridan added her recent ADHD diagnosis, is helping "make a lot of sense" of things, like the "overanalysing" and her brain’s background noise.
The star also told the publication about her experience with therapy, admitting: "I should have had it sooner, but, you know, there’s a real working-class [stigma]
Gavin & Stacey airs on Christmas Day at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
