Sheridan Smith credits her son Billy for her new TV gig.
Sheridan Smith
The 39-year-old actress is set to present BBC One series 'Pooch Perfect' - where dog groomers battle it out to become the UK's top canine stylist - and she revealed that she only got the confidence to move from acting to presenting when she became a mother.
Sheridan told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "I wouldn't have had the nerve to do this if Billy wasn't born.
"I was very nervous when they came to me with the idea as there are so many presenters out there, but I am a massive dog lover and it seemed the perfect fit.
"What's great is we could go to work together as a family.
“Billy was in the green room with his dad [Sheridan's fiance Jamie Horn] doing daddy care so I could see him in between filming to play. He was only three months old at the time and I was still breast-feeding so it was perfect."
And Sheridan jumped at the chance to take on a light-hearted gig after some tough TV roles.
She said: "I get immersed in the characters I play and I invest in the people because I really love to play their stories. Often, it's very sad things and I do bring it home. It's hard to switch off.
"'Pooch Perfect 'is such a camp show and I hope it brings some light relief at this horrible time. It was great to have some fun. For a lot of people, dogs have been a lifesaver during lockdown. It's been the most joyous job.
"My fella noticed that I was coming back smiling and happy. He said I was bouncing off the walls."
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