Sheridan Smith reveals how psychiatric care helped her overcome opens up about her 'social phobias' and anxiety

Sheridan Smith is one of the UK's biggest stars, but she's endured her fair share of tough times too.

In a new interview with Radio Times, the 37-year-old has opened up about struggles over the last few years, and revealed the main thing that helped her feel better.

Discussing her now infamous run in the West End production of Funny Girl, which she pulled out of for two months, Sheridan confessed that at the time, her rising anxiety and her Dad's ill health began to get on top of her.

She admitted, “My anxiety levels started getting a lot higher; it was that fear of failing, I guess. It came out of nowhere and got gradually worse and worse and came to a head."

"And Dad dying. It wasn’t that I chose to take the time off, but you know, it was better that I had time with him. No one’s as good as your dad, are they?"

However, the popular actress is now in a good place - but admitted that it took a lot of time and work tackling her 'social phobias' to get to where she is now.

Revealing that psychiatric care helped her recovery, Sheridan revealed, “Various specialists. It took a couple of years to get right, and to get over the social phobias. I recently got a great doctor, and I think I’m finally back."

She also explained that she decided to be open about her mental health battles in order to help others open up. The star said, "I decided to talk about it because it’s an illness like any other illness. I was ashamed and embarrassed and now I need to be an advocate, to say: ‘It’s OK to not be OK. Ask for help.’”

Sheridan is now engaged to Jamie Horn, with whom she lives in the countryside. She went on to reveal that her main priority now is her health and maintaining happy relationships, confessing she needs someone who can put up with her hectic, showbiz lifestyle.

She said, “I don’t have big ambitions any more – as long as I’m working and my mental health’s good. I’d like to get married, have a kid.

“I need to come home to someone caring, understanding. Normality. But someone who’ll put up with the madness of this industry.”