Sheridan Smith showed off her recent weight loss in a risqué sheer black dress at the Olivier Awards last weekend – shrugging off the recent controversy over the early closure of her show as she flashed her biggest smile on the red carpet.
Sheridan, 42, wowed fans as she flaunted her significantly slimmer frame in a black boob tube and high-waisted knickers underneath her see-through jewelled dress.
One fan commented, “Wow, she looks amazing!!!” While another added, “Sheridan is giving Hollywood vibes right there!”
Her appearance came just days after it was announced her West End musical, Opening Night, will close two months earlier than planned following reports audience members “walked out” amid a string of poor reviews.
But pals say the actress – who in December announced, “I’m back” following “seven years of hell” which included a public breakdown – is feeling better than ever.
A source says, “Despite what’s happened recently, Sheridan has been determined to pick herself back up and carry on as usual. She’s in a great place at the minute, and feels amazing inside and out. She credits all the work she’s done to overhaul her mental health to helping her finally conquer her weight battle after years of yo-yo dieting and struggling with her body image.
“She’s got an amazing support system around her, loves being a mum and is just oozing confidence right now. She’s determined not to let the recent blow over the show break her newly-boosted self-esteem, which has taken a huge amount of blood, sweat and tears to build up.”
The star – who has been candid about her mental health struggles and took a two-month break from the spotlight amid her breakdown following the death of her beloved dad, Colin, in 2016 – has previously opened up about her weight-loss struggles and body insecurities.
When asked what she most disliked about her body back in 2012, the Gavin & Stacey star – who was recently diagnosed with ADHD – responded, “How long have you got?”
In 2017, the mum-of-one – who shares three-year-old son, Billy, with ex, Jamie Horn – revealed she was struggling to lose weight after “bulking up” for her lead role in BBC drama, The Moorside. “I’m finding it really tough,” she admitted.
Two years later, Sheridan told fans on Instagram she’d lost 2st in just 14 weeks thanks to her gruelling dance rehearsals for Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat.
Sharing before and after pics with her 756k followers, the star said, “I’m not one for weight-loss regimes as I think everyone should be comfortable in their own skin…..”
In December, the Cilla star revealed her physically demanding role in The Castaways led her to lose “so much weight” as she detailed her fitness overhaul while filming the Paramount thriller.
“I lost weight and I got fit,” she said, adding, “I was running up and down the beach. At first, I had a stitch, but by the end I was loving it. It gave me a kick up the bum.”
And pals say it was that experience that fuelled Sheridan’s recent body transformation.
The source says, “Before The Castaways, Sheridan saw the gym as a ‘chore’ and while she had a trainer and good intentions, she’d go through phases of being motivated and then falling off track.
“While she’s never been obsessive about dieting, she’s done a lot of work on healthy eating and learning to enjoy home-cooked food as well as really getting into her gym workouts – training four to five times a week.
“She still loves to indulge in her favourite foods like a burger and chips, and insists that she’ll never deprive herself, but she feels so much better – both physically and mentally – when she’s putting good food into her body that it’s motivated her to continue on her healthier path.”
At the end of last year, insiders told Closer how the BAFTA-winning star was hoping to have another baby after falling head-over-heels for boxer Dave Ryan.
Her new romance came two years after her heartbreaking split from Jamie, who she met on Tinder in 2018. And after keeping a low profile since going “Instagram-official” in October, Sheridan – whose turbulent love life has regularly hit the headlines – is keen to learn from past mistakes.
The source adds, “Sheridan’s known for jumping head-first into relationships and publicly declaring her love, only to have been burnt one too many times.
“Dave has three kids whose privacy she wants to respect, as well as Dave being a quiet person, so they’ve both agreed to keep their romance out of the spotlight as best they can.
“Sheridan’s happier than ever right now and despite her recent career blip, she’s determined not to let anything destroy her positive mindset. She’s focusing on her next project and being the best mum she can be while continuing on her new healthy path.”