Sheridan Smith Opens Up About Her Pregnancy Mental Health Battles: ‘I Thought It Was Important That I Be Honest’

'I stupidly thought I’ll stop [my medication], because it’ll harm the baby and then I started having panic attacks again, and my mental health started declining,' says Sheridan.

Sheridan Smith

by Rhiannon Evans |
Updated on

Actress Sheridan Smith has spoken frankly about her mental health struggles during her pregnancy - and why she thought it was important that she share her own story and those of others.

Sheridan's new documentary, Becoming Mum, airs on ITV tonight at 9pm. Clips of the documentary, where she candidly speaks about her life and mental health, have been aired already, but ahead of the release, she spoke to This Morning about the show.

Sheridan's son Billy was born this summer, and it was only in researching the documentary, that it became clear she'd take it in such a personal direction.

Speaking this morning, she said: 'We were going to do a documentary about pregnancy and about the kind of old wives’ tales, and the do’s and don’ts during pregnancy… and I sent out a tweet just asking women what they were worried about and nearly every single tweet I got back was women worried about mental health and postnatal depression and anxiety during pregnancy. And it was secretly one of my worries too, so the documentary took a turn then and we decided to go and see what was out there, to help women in that position.

' think when you’ve had mental health issues in the past you worry that it’s going to appear again suddenly in pregnancy and I think that was most women’s response to the tweet I put out. And I didn’t know what was out there and you always feel quite ashamed to say it, especially when you’re pregnant, I think, when you’re going to be a mum. You feel like a bad mum. How can you be having these thoughts? And so we went on this journey and met the most amazing people. At this charity in Derbyshire called Ripples, where women volunteer to help women who leave hospital who need extra help. So many people are out there that really want to help, but it’s such a scary thing to ask for help.

'In the documentary, I do say some things that I hadn’t even told my loved ones, because I thought it was important that I be honest for the first time, if I’m going to help others. It was pretty scary, but the journey was incredible and the people I met along the way were amazing, and I just hope it helps some expectant mums or new mums out there.'

Sheridan opened up about her personal revelation that she could - and should - continue taking her medication while pregnant.

'I went and spoke to a psychiatrist in the documentary called Dr. Alan Gregoire and he told me that there is actually a lot of medications that you can take during pregnancy, but a lot of women won’t admit to their doctors that they’re on medication, and will try and just stop. And he said that’s not the right thing to do and you can actually be pregnant on some of these medications. I didn’t know that either…

it’s a bond like no other and I don’t know, maybe I’ve been looking for things in the wrong places all of my life?

'I’ve been on medication since my mental health issues in the past and I stupidly thought I’ll stop them, because it’ll harm the baby and then I started having panic attacks again, and my mental health started declining… there are a lot of people who are against taking medication for mental health issues but for me it’s important that I’m on them.'

Clips from the show have shown Sheridan admit that she suffered seizures and was hospitalised after feeling ‘humiliated’ by a joke at a TV BAFTA awards ceremony. The star said she ‘went off the deep end’ after the 2016 awards ceremony during which Graham Norton made a comment about her drinking habits whilst she was sitting in the audience.

But speaking to Holly and Phil this morning, she admitted a lot of her issues were triggered by the death of her beloved father too.

'It had been a long time coming. I mean, Legally Blonde was ten years ago now, but it was the final week of that that I had my first ever panic attack. It kind of spiralled from there really. Definitely, losing my dad was the big explosion mentally. I know there’s been a lot of reports of the night of The Baftas, it was probably the straw that broke the camel’s back that night, but it wasn’t the reason. It was no one's fault, I was just in a bit of a decline at the time. Thankfully, I’ve got myself back on the road to recovery and now I have a baby and am very happy.'

Sheridan met her fiance, Jamie Horn in 2018 and says his support has been key: 'It’s often hard and partly overlooked on the family and friends of people suffering with mental health, and Jamie had never experienced it before but was reading up on it and now knows me better than I know myself. He can see if I’m getting anxious, like this morning before doing this, and he just knows how to calm me down and talk me off the ledge a bit, just keeps me calm, so it’s just amazing that I’ve got such support in him. I never saw myself having a child to be honest, until I met Jamie and now, oh my goodness, it’s the best thing in the world!'

And speaking about son Billy, she added: 'He’s amazing, but I’m biased. He’s gorgeous. He’s just the cutest thing. When you look at him, when you look at your baby in the eyes and that unconditional love, it’s a bond like no other and I don’t know, maybe I’ve been looking for things in the wrong places all of my life? Now this little boy is what makes me want to be the best mum and make him proud. He’s just amazing. He’s smiling now, which is just the best thing in the world, because it’s like, "You love me back!"'

Sheridan Smith: Becoming Mum airs tonight (Tuesday 1 September) at 9pm on ITV

This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV

READ MORE: Sheridan Smith Needed Help, Not To Become The Punchline Of A Joke

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