No Return star Sheridan Smith has spoken about feeling "protectiveness" and "fear" following the birth of her first child, Billy, in 2020.
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Speaking at a recent press event for her new ITV drama, Sheridan revealed that playing a mum is "totally different" now that she is a mother herself.
WATCH: Sheridan Smith stars in new ITV drama, No Return
"Playing mums before I had Billy and playing mums now I've had Billy is totally different," she said. "People have said you'll know, you can't understand the protectiveness and the fear when you have a child and Billy's not even two yet but I feel it."
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Sheridan plays the role of Kathy in the new ITV series, whose life is turned upside down when her 16-year-old son Noah is accused of sexually assaulting a boy while on a family holiday in Turkey.
© Photo: ITVSheridan Smith says she relates to her character, Kathy
Speaking about reading the script for the first time, Sheridan revealed that she related to her character. "Reading the script gave me big jelly belly and anxiety, which I hope is what will resonate with the audience," she said. "They'll be feeling all the angst as well. It is every parent's worst nightmare so I relate so much to it and I love playing protective mums, I've loved this role so much."
The actress described the nerve-wracking plot while speaking to ITV: "What happens to this family is so unexpected. They go off on holiday to Turkey which they have been really looking forward to and it turns into a disaster when their son Noah is arrested. I’m sure people will think about what they would do if that was their child."
© Photo: ITVSheridan stars in the ITV drama
She continued: "Suddenly they are plunged into a completely different legal system. It’s just a nightmare. When I read the script and then when I was playing the role I was thinking, ‘My God, if this was my son Billy, I can’t imagine how I would feel.’ There was a lot of angst during filming. Lots of crying, lots of screaming, lots of constant tension."
No Return premiere on ITV and ITV Hub at 9pm on Monday 7 February and air weekly from then on.
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