The unstoppable Miss Smith

Was it strange to go from the Royle's living room to playing a prostitute in a serious drama?
Blood Strangers is controversial but I play a great part. She's a real feisty little thing but she's still just a child so she has that vulnerable side as well. I've done straight drama before, but this is a gritty piece. When I was in Manchester - filming and researching the role - I'd see little girls in school uniform and think, "I hope she's waiting for her Mum," then you'd see them winking at the cars. It was shocking.

You didn't go to drama school, so how did you get into acting?
My Mum and dad are a Country and Western duo and I've sung with them from the age of seven. I was never nervous about being on stage - in fact, I was always the little cheeky one that lapped it up. When I was at school, I auditioned for the National Youth Music Theatre (NYMT) and got in. Then a producer took our show, Bugsy Malone, to the West End. I played Tallulah and because I was 16 I was classed as an adult so I moved down to London, into a shared house. After that I planned to move back to my Mum's, but I got an agent. I was lucky, as I couldn't have afforded drama school.

How did your family feel about you leaving for the bright lights at such a tender age?
I'm from a village near Doncaster, and everyone knew that's all I ever wanted to do. I was always a troublemaker in class, but in drama I'd really concentrate. My parents knew I couldn't let the opportunity go - even though they were like, "Our baby girl". They're really supportive, Mum puts a piece in the local paper when I'm on telly, "Everybody watch Sheridan". It's sweet. I go home every month, it keeps my feet on the ground.

Which you may well need as you live with a very famous person, don't you?
Well, Hannah from S Club 7! She's my best friend and flatmate - we met through the NYMT and we became best mates straight away. She was in the show too, so me, Hannah and four boys lived in a little flat together - we lived on McDonalds! When I got my agent, Hannah got into the band, so we've lived together for four years. We're like sisters. We've been here for each other all along, otherwise it would have been scary.

Was it ever a worry that one of you would get famous and leave the other one behind?
That's never been a problem - music was Hannah's route and I always wanted to be an actor, so we never competed in any way. I was so proud of her when S Club took off, and now I'm doing all right in acting, she's really proud of me as well. There's no jealousy - she's just got back from a tour and we've been yap, yap yapping from the minute she got off the plane! I really miss her, but when she's back I see a lot of her so it makes up for it.

Does hobnobbing with celebs and being on TV feel like a strange life for a 19 year old, or does it seem normal to you?
Well, it's weird - when I first moved down here at 16 and started going to auditions I'd go, "Oh my god! It's that famous actor!" Because I'm from a little village, at first it was strange to come here and see famous people walk past on the street. In the end you just get used to it and realise they're all in the same boat as you. But it is strange - specially when I go home, cos my mates all say, "Who've you met?", and I forget I was like that when I first started.

What about the celeb lifestyle - do you do designer clothes?
No, not at all! Hannah and I go shopping together and it's brilliant because I can borrow her clothes... well, I can't get into some of them cos she's tiny. But we borrow each other's stuff all the time. We love Topshop, me and Han - there's no point in spending fortunes. It's nice to buy the odd posh garment, but we're more like, "Ooh, two tops for a fiver!" - I'm a real bargain queen.

No wonder you fitted into The Royle Family so well...
Well, yeah. When I heard I was auditioning for it, I couldn't believe it. I'd seen the first series and - although some people just don't get it - I thought, that is my family! My Dad even plays the banjo - just like Jim Royle. When I auditioned, Caroline Aherne and Craig Cash were there. They said, "Just read it like a nice normal girl", so I did it and thought, "That was rubbish." I said, "Thanks for seeing me, bye". Then I got home and there was a message saying I'd got the part! I went wild! That was my first break.

What was it like walking on to that famous set?
It was weird! They're like a little family but they made me feel at ease and we had a good laugh. Ricky (Tomlinson, aka Jim Royle) was hilarious, he'd just ad lib and come out with something mad. Ralf Little (Anthony Royle) and I were like brother and sister by the end, really good mates and then I worked with him on Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps. I can't get rid of him! I learnt different things from all of them but Caroline's fantastic. She's like (adopts Aherne's accent) "'ello, lovely lady". She's got an amazing brain, and she's so laid back.

What about the comedy series Two Pints... how was that?
That was fun cos it was a small cast, and we did it with a studio audience. It was nerve-wracking because you had to remember not to play to the audience. I was used to theatre, and I'd always want to go "da-dum!" and wink at the end of a joke, but I couldn't! My Mum was made up because she bussed her friends down to see it. The only problem was that she laughed really loudly in the wrong bits - I'd just raise an eyebrow and she'd go "Woooh! That's my daughter!".

Actors say that the downside of doing TV and film is sex scenes. Do you have a policy on it yet?
Sometimes I see films that have unnecessary sex scenes and I think, "What's the point?". But if it was a great role I suppose I would. In one drama I did, I had to take my bra off. You couldn't see anything and it was a closed set but, because the actor and I had been working together for ages and we'd built it up so much in our heads, when we finally did it he kept laughing. I was thinking, "Oh, cheers!" but he was embarrassed! In Blood Strangers there's a scene where I'm in the bath but you don't see anything. I was sitting there in knickers with men holding lights over my head - but they all left the room while I got my towel, luckily.

Are you going out with anybody or are you too busy?
No - I'm very career-minded and I have such a laugh with my mates that I'm not into getting a boyfriend at the moment, but you can't know what'll happen, can you? I don't get chatted up much either, because it's usually me doing the chatting up, going "All right, darlin'". I'm terrible! I'm quite scary, most blokes are terrified and run away - which is probably why I'm still single!

What about your house mates. No romance there, then?
No way! There's four of us in the house, including my mate Neil who I've known for years, and he's like another brother. He's brilliant, he's a magician and musician as well as an actor, he's a great housemate to have because if I'm down he can just snap me straight out of it.

Are you easy to live with?
I'm very indecisive. I always say, "What do you think I should do?" and they'll say, "You decide!" and I'll say, "No, but what do you think I should do?" I'll ask for their opinion and then go, "I don't agree!" Also, the house is quite neat but my room's the worst - my house mates take the mick out of my room and the fact that I'm rubbish at cooking. I could burn water. The other day I was cooking and they got the camcorder, it was so long since they'd seen it happen.

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