Sheridan Smith has started a farm: “It's nice to be able to go away and have my animals and come back to the odd job”

The actress, who suffered a very public breakdown in 2016 after her father's death, has “moved away into the countryside” to start a farm and be “surrounded by animals” in between her busy filming schedule.

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Speaking at a screening of her forthcoming ITV drama Cleaning Up, Smith revealed that she now has four donkeys, two goats and two pigs on her farm.

“I've moved away into the countryside,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to move away and have my farm and just be surrounded by animals… I rescued them, it's nice to be able to go away and have my animals and come back to the odd job.”

Cleaning Up stars Smith as Sam, a cleaner and single mother who has a gambling addiction and, struggling to make ends meet, decides to delve into the dangerous world of insider trading.

Talking about her own relationship with money, Smith said she is becoming “more sensible”.

“You know what I'm like – messy,” she laughed. “I’m not very good with all those kind of things. I’m getting better, I’m starting to get financial advice and things instead of getting more animals…

“I haven’t been very good with money. I haven't got everything set up yet. I always think I’m lucky to be doing this job and getting paid for it... so I’m getting a bit better, a bit more sensible now.”

Besides Cleaning Up, which begins on ITV next year, Smith is also set to star in Channel 4’s Adult Material and BBC1’s Care.