Table of Contents
Introduction
SHERIDAN Smith has shared her thoughts on the notorious joke made about her by Graham Norton during the TV Bafta Awards in 2016.
Context of the Incident
At that time, the 44-year-old actress was performing as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl in the West End but had to miss several performances, leading to understudies stepping in for her.
Sheridan Smith has shared her experience regarding a joke made about her at the TV Baftas in 2016Credit: PA
Host Graham Norton made a joke about herCredit: Getty
He suggested that her West End show was canceled due to her drinkingCredit: BBC
During the awards ceremony, Graham, 62, hinted that the show was canceled because she was intoxicated.
He remarked: “We’re all excited for a couple of drinks tonight. Or, as it’s referred to in theatrical circles, a few glasses of technical difficulties.”
Sheridan's Response
Sheridan, who was present in the audience, felt humiliated by the comment. At the time, she was facing a challenging period in her life due to her father's cancer diagnosis and had turned to anti-anxiety medication.
Nearly a decade later, Sheridan revisited the incident and confessed that she felt “embarrassed.”
She told The Times : “It’s about reclaiming it because after what happened … I never wanted it to be so public.”
“You feel embarrassed. I felt ashamed, and I still sometimes do, like, ‘Oh, I wish that part of my life hadn’t occurred.’ But it did.”
“It’s similar to my tattoos. Oh, how I wish I didn’t have them, but they’re a part of me now.”
The critically acclaimed actress continued: “That was no one’s fault but my own. I was in a difficult place at the time.”
“But I think you’re right; it probably wouldn’t happen in the same way today. There is a bit more kindness now.”
Aftermath
Unbeknownst to anyone at the time, that night Sheridan faced a medical emergency.
She was rushed to A&E after experiencing five seizures that caused her to stop breathing.
Four years later, she revealed her struggles in her documentary, Sheridan Smith: Becoming Mum.
Holding back tears, she recounted: “He was hosting and made a joke, essentially at my expense, about me being a drunk.”
“I felt so humiliated, especially in a room full of peers. People you want to work with or have worked with.”
“That night for me felt like the breaking point, leading to my mental health spiraling.”
She added: “What people didn’t realize was that I had developed an addiction to anti-anxiety tablets.”
“That night, I isolated myself in a hotel.”
“In my troubled mind, I thought, ‘I don’t want to go to rehab — I’ll handle it myself,’ so I stopped taking my tablets.”
“What I didn’t understand was that stopping the tablets suddenly can cause seizures. To summarize, I had five seizures and was rushed to A&E.”
“Interestingly, a friend of mine called and came to the hotel. It’s miraculous that she did. It felt like someone was watching over me.”
“She’s the one who helped me breathe again.”
She turned to alcohol after her father was diagnosed with cancer in 2016Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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