Her shock decision to quit ITV's Starstruck after just one series and the strain of two relationship breakdowns had reportedly left friends worried for Sheridan Smith.
The actress, 41, has suffered with mental health problems in the past and there were concerns that her recent splits from Jamie Horn and then afterwards boyfriend Alex Lawler may trigger some of her past demons.
But now insiders say there’s one friend of the actress who has emerged as her rock – comedian and BGT judge David Walliams, who she recently worked with, and is starting a new project with this month.
A source says, “Sheridan adores David and really looks up to him. She can’t wait to work with him again and spend more time with him. They had a great time together doing Hansel and Gretel over the summer and became really close, calling and texting each other after the filming ended.
“David has had his own battles with fame and depression – he understands what she’s going through. They’re very close and laughter really is the best medicine, so they’re making each other happy.”
Sheridan rose to fame on shows such as Gavin & Stacey and became a TV and West End star. But in 2016, she found herself in a downward spiral after losing her dad to cancer. She started drinking, suffered depression and developed an addiction to anti-anxiety tablets after being diagnosed as bipolar.
Her love life has also been turbulent over the years. After break-ups with Gavin & Stacey co-star James Corden and Hollyoaks actor Greg Wood, Sheridan found happiness with insurance broker Jamie Horn after meeting him on Tinder. The pair got engaged three months after meeting and welcomed son Billy in 2020 – but it was clear there was trouble in paradise when Sheridan posted a string of angry posts on Twitter, accusing Jamie’s mum of killing her dog and calling her a “nut job”. They split in 2021.
Sheridan later rekindled her romance with former flame Alex Lawler, but they split after four months and she’s now single once again.
Meanwhile David – who has been open about suffering from depression and is also bipolar – was married to model Lara Stone for five years, with whom he shares son Alfred, nine, and has dated Keeley Hazell since his divorce.
And our source adds that David is loving spending time with Sheridan and doing all he can to support her. “David loves Sheridan and wants her to succeed. He has assured their mutual pals that he’s going to keep an eye on her and get her back to her best after her recent wobbly patch. At the end of the day, David knows all too well that the only person who can stop you from going into a spiral is yourself.
“Sheridan feels safe with David for a lot of reasons, but she loves that they can have a laugh together one minute, and then the next they can have a really deep conversation about what she’s been going through in her life. She’s going to be really leaning on him throughout filming and she’s just excited to be around good, supportive people on set.”