Film and television '' in 2013 From 1999 to 2000, Smith played Emma in
The Royle Family. She played
Janet Keogh in the long-running series
Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps from 2001 until 2009. In 2000 Smith played the role of Lyn Marsh in the
Heartbeat episode "A Shot in the Dark". In 2000 she also played a wayward teenager in "Where the Heart is". This was followed in February 2003, when she appeared in ''Heartbeat's
sister programme The Royal,'' where she played the part of Francesca Wheeler, a teenage girl who was suffering from leukaemia in the episode "Immediate Care." In 2004, she made a one-episode appearance in
Mile High as Suzy, an airport cleaner who impersonates a flight attendant in an attempt to become cabin crew. She also featured in
The Comic Strips 2005 episode "Sex Actually" as Angie. Smith played Cleo Martin in
Love Soup (2005) and starred as Michelle, a hypocritical nutritionist, in three series of the sitcom
Grownups (2006–2009). She has also appeared on
The Lenny Henry Show as M.E. Westmocott, a role spoofing the various medical examiners on
CSI. In the 2009
Two Pints of Lager Comic Relief special, which crossed over with
Grownups, she played her characters from both series. Smith has also appeared in a number of other shows including the
BBC's
Eyes Down, in which she played Sandy, and smaller parts in shows such as
The Bill and
Fat Friends. She featured as
Rudi, Smithy's little sister, in the second and third series of the
BBC Three sitcom
Gavin & Stacey. She guest starred in the Christmas 2008 episode of
Lark Rise to Candleford. Since 2009, she has played Joey Ross in special seasonal episodes of
Jonathan Creek, namely "
The Grinning Man" (2009), "
The Judas Tree" (2010), and "The Clue of the Savant's Thumb" (2013). She played
Brandy in the third series of
Benidorm. During 2010, Smith acted as a mentor to the contestants of the BBC show
Over the Rainbow.
Sky Arts' Chekhov Comedy Shorts also featured Smith in 2010 when she starred as Natasha in
The Proposal. She appeared in the 2011 film
Hysteria, about the invention of the vibrator. For the factual hospital series
Bizarre ER, she took over narration duties from
Freema Agyeman. She appeared in the 2012
ITV film adaptation of
Daphne du Maurier's novel
The Scapegoat. In September 2012 Smith played the title role in
Mrs Biggs, a five-part series on
ITV. In 2013, she appeared in the
Channel 4 series
Dates. In January 2014, she starred in the two-part BBC drama
The 7.39. In March 2014, she appeared in the ITV crime drama
The Widower as the first wife of serial killer
Malcolm Webster. Later that year, she featured in the series
Who Do You Think You Are? and played
Cilla Black in the three-part ITV drama series
Cilla. In 2015 she starred as cancer patient
Lisa Lynch in the one-off BBC drama
The C Word and as policewoman Jo Gillespie in the three-part
ITV drama
Black Work, which was nominated for a
National Television Award in 2016. Smith narrated the reality series
Bear Grylls: Mission Survive from 2015. The show was nominated for a
National Television Award in 2016 but was cancelled after two series. In February 2017, she starred in
The Moorside, a BBC drama based on the
kidnapping of Shannon Matthews in 2008. She appeared in her own ITV music special in November 2017. Titled
Sheridan, the one-off special presented by
Alexander Armstrong saw her performing some of the songs from her album, and talking about her life. In December 2017, Smith starred as evil step-mum Sheila in the television adaptation of
David Walliams' children's book,
Ratburger. It was broadcast on
Sky One. In January 2019, she appeared as Sam in
ITV drama series
Cleaning Up. In January 2021, Smith appeared as a guest judge in the
second series of the BBC drag competition series, ''
RuPaul's Drag Race UK. Later in 2021, she presented the BBC dog-grooming competition Pooch Perfect''. In January 2022, Smith starred as Jenna in
The Teacher, a drama series about a drinking, smoking, hard-living teacher who is accused of sleeping with one of her students. Critics generally were positive of Smith, with one reviewer for
The Independent praising her performance as "so much flair and vulnerability" and rating the show 4/5 stars. In June 2022, Smith narrated all episodes of Channel 5 docusoap
The Cruise. In 2023, Smith began filming
The Castaways for
Paramount+. In 2025, Smith starred in ITV's
I Fought the Law, a four-part crime series based on
Ann Ming's non-fiction book For the Love of Julie, detailing a long campaign to overturn the British double jeopardy law following the murder of her daughter. The show, and Smith's performance, received widespread acclaim from critics. Writing in The Times, Carol Midgely gave it five stars, stating that I Fought The Law was "Unforgettable... Four beautifully written episodes... If [Sheridan Smith] doesn't win an award, it will be a travesty." Deborah Ross also gave it five stars in the Mail on Sunday, calling it "remarkable in every way" and praising the final scene in particular as "one of the most tender, affecting and wonderfully judged moments ever on TV".
Theatre Smith's theatre credits include the musical
Into the Woods at London's
Donmar Warehouse, and
Shakespeare's
The Taming of the Shrew and ''
A Midsummer Night's Dream'' at the
Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park. She also played Audrey in the stage production of
Little Shop of Horrors at the
Menier Chocolate Factory, London, from November 2006, with the production then transferring to the
Duke of York's Theatre in March 2007. Following a successful run the production moved again at the end of June 2007 to the
New Ambassadors Theatre, where its played until September 2007. Smith was nominated for the 2008
Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for her performance in the show. Smith appeared as Vanessa in
Tinderbox: a Revenge Comedy by
Lucy Kirkwood at the
Bush Theatre,
Shepherd's Bush, in April 2008. Smith originated the role of
Elle Woods in the musical version of
Legally Blonde in its transfer from Broadway to London's
West End in December 2009. Ex-
Blue boyband member
Duncan James played opposite Smith until June 2010, when he was replaced by
Richard Fleeshman. Other cast members Smith has performed alongside include
Aoife Mulholland as Brooke,
Denise Van Outen as Paulette,
Peter Davison as Professor Callahan and
Alex Gaumond as Emmett Forrest. Her performance was well received,
The Daily Telegraph describing her as: "blessed with vitality, warmth, great comic timing and sudden moments of touching vulnerability. She is infinitely more likeable than
Reese Witherspoon in
the film." Smith's run in
Legally Blonde was due to finish on 23 October 2010, but her run was extended to 8 January 2011. For her role in
Legally Blonde, Smith won the
WhatsOnStage.com Theatregoers' Choice Award for Best Actress in a Musical. She was also nominated for the
Evening Standard Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress and was the winner of the
Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical. Between March and June 2011, she appeared in
Trevor Nunn's production of
Flare Path at the
Theatre Royal, Haymarket as Doris, a former barmaid married to a Polish count in the
RAF. The production was part of the playwright
Terence Rattigan's centenary year celebrations and also starred
Sienna Miller and
James Purefoy. For this role she won the 2012
Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role, the 2011
Evening Standard Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress and the
BroadwayWorld UK Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play. As well as her role in
Legally Blonde, Smith also performed the title role in the workshop productions of a new
musical adaptation of ''Bridget Jones' Diary''. On 5 April 2012, it was announced that Smith had decided to pull out of the musical, delaying the production of the show. From September to November 2012, Smith played the title role in
Hedda Gabler at the
Old Vic, winning the 2013
Theatregoers' Choice Award for "Best Actress in a Leading Role" in a Play. Shortly before collecting her award at the ceremony on 17 February 2013, Smith performed the original song "Stagey and Proud", which was written by Chris Passey and Amy Carroll. From September to November 2013, she starred alongside
David Walliams in a
West End production of ''
A Midsummer Night's Dream'', as part of
Michael Grandage's season of plays at the
Noël Coward Theatre. Smith starred in a new London production of the musical
Funny Girl. It previewed at the
Menier Chocolate Factory from 20 November 2015, opened on 2 December and ran until 6 March 2016. The show then transferred to the
Savoy Theatre in the West End for a 12-week run, but extended through 8 October 2016. Sheridan Smith states in
The Stage that she is married to the job. Smith continued with the role throughout its UK Tour. Smith played the Narrator in
Tim Rice and
Andrew Lloyd Webber's
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the
London Palladium over the 2019 summer season with
Jason Donovan as The Pharaoh and Jac Yarrow as Joseph. From March 2024, she starred as Myrtle in
Opening Night at the
Gielgud Theatre in the West End. The show's music and lyrics were written by
Rufus Wainwright. From 9 December 2025 until 28 February 2026, she played Susan in the revival of
Alan Ayckbourn's
Woman in Mind at the
Duke of York's Theatre.
Radio Smith played companion
Lucie Miller alongside
Paul McGann's
Eighth Doctor in a radio series of
Doctor Who, produced by
Big Finish and transmitted on
BBC 7 from New Year's Eve 2006; the plays returned in a second series released on CD and scheduled for BBC 7 broadcast. A third series of adventures for Lucie and the Doctor aired in March 2009, as weekly half-hour downloads followed by a Christmas Special. Lucie Miller made her final appearances in the fourth series, ending in 2011. She also narrated two
Big Finish Short Trips stories, "The Curse of the Fugue" and "Flashpoint." Smith has reprised her role as Lucie Miller opposite McGann's Eighth Doctor in
The Further Adventures of Lucie Miller, released in July 2019. Smith also appeared as Ruby Ruggles in the 2008 radio serial
The Way We Live Right Now, and took over the role of Tamsin Trelawny in series 2 of
Elephants to Catch Eels on
BBC Radio 4. ==Personal life==