Ant and Dec received a lot of criticism over their presenting skills at The BRIT Awards 2015, leading none other than Sheridan Smith to leap in and defend them.

Taking to Twitter enthusiastically, Sheridan wrote: "#Yes!!! @antanddec are smashing it! #humble"

However some people took Sheridan's comment in the entirely wrong way, assuming it to be a 'sly dig' at her ex, James Corden, who had presented the awards ceremony in 2014.

Sheridan fired back: "Bore off trolls! I am LOVING @antanddec best Brits in years!!!

"[Love] all the winners are so deserved."

However her words did little to stifle the online bullies, who continued to hurl accusations at the talented actress.

Trying to explain herself, Sheridan wrote: "It wasn't a sly dig at all!

"I love Ant & Dec & James is a genius!I'm on his sister's radio station on Sunday. I meant the line up!"

She later tweeted: "Oh f**k this, bye Twitter.

"I came on Twitter to talk to fans, now I seem to just get abuse and made-up stories. I'm sorry to you lovely supportive lot, u know who u are."

It seems as if the online abuse that Sheridan received came at the worst possible time, as the Legally Blonde songstress also revealed that she has been suffering another heartache.

She tweeted, just before quitting the social media site: "Night loved ones,crying bout my big bro who died but I'll stop feeling sorry for myself. Pathetic. Just hate my family getting grief,night x"

Sheridan's eldest brother Julian died of cancer in 1990, aged 18.