She’s been unlucky in love over the years but – as her acting career soars again – Sheridan Smith is said to be back on the hunt for love in 2023.
The 41-year-old actress, who is about to take over the lead role in Shirley Valentine on the West End stage, has been spotted on the exclusive dating app Raya – which singles have to be “accepted” to join – almost a year after splitting from most recent boyfriend, Alex Lawler.
But insiders say pals are concerned that Sheridan – mum to two-year-old son Billy from her three-year relationship with insurance broker Jamie Horn – will be taken advantage of by fame-seekers.
“Sheridan feels safer meeting someone on an app like Raya,” a source says. “Being so busy with her stage play and motherhood, she doesn’t have the time to think too much about it. She wants to find a natural spark with someone who will sweep her off her feet – potentially with somebody who works behind the scenes in the entertainment world and won’t be put off by her stardom.”
Sheridan’s whirlwind relationship with ex Jamie – who she got engaged to just three months after meeting – hit the headlines as it broke down in 2019 when she shared a string of angry posts on Twitter, accusing his “nut job” mum of killing her dog, something she later apologised for.
The source adds, “There are a lot of bad boys out there who can spot women like Sheridan and take advantage. Even though Raya vets candidates, there’s always a possibility that a few bad apples will slip through the net. But Sheridan insists she really wants to broaden her horizons and take a chance on someone who she might not normally go for. She knows it can be a risk – but she’s never been afraid of taking risks in romance.”