‘It's so complicated and dark'

Sheridan Smith tells us why her latest role will leave viewers conflicted…

- STEVEN PERKINS

THE TEACHER

NEW MONDAY-THURSDAY / CHANNEL 5 / 9PM / EPS 1-4 of 4 / DRAMA

Sheridan Smith is one of our most popular actors. But the versatile star is hoping that viewers will be wary of her latest character…

In Channel 5’s psychological thriller The Teacher, airing across four consecutive nights, Sheridan (Cilla, The Moorside, Four Lives) takes on the challenging role of Jenna Garvey, a well-liked teacher who works at a selective grammar school and has a chaotic private life.

Jenna’s world implodes when she is accused of a sexual encounter with a 15-year-old pupil, Kyle Hope (Ackley Bridge star Samuel Bottomley), after a drunken night out to celebrate a promotion.

To her horror, Jenna can’t remember what happened, and so her only hope of redemption lies in uncovering the truth about a dark event in her past.

Here, Sheridan, 40, tells us more…

What were your initial thoughts when you read the script?

I’d been reading lots of different scripts, then this came along and I was gripped. I couldn’t put it down, which is rare; I read it all in one go. Initially, the dates weren’t working, but then things moved around so it didn’t clash, and it felt like a sign.

Why did the role appeal to you?

I love playing people who are flawed and complex. Jenna’s got a drink problem, she’s lost her mum, she has a really strained relationship with her dad – she’s gone off the rails and lost herself a bit.