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Sheridan Smith Pulls Out Of 'Funny Girl' For Third Night Running After Twitter Rant

West End Theatre have said they will continue to support actress.
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By 

Entertainment Editor, HuffPost UK

Sheridan Smith’s fans will be crossing their fingers their favourite actress recovers soon, after the star pulled out of a third consecutive performance of ‘Funny Girl’ on the West End stage. 

The 'Cilla' star has not performed the role since last week, before the BAFTA Awards where she came away empty-handed, and was later slammed by some press for being a "sore loser". 

Her decision not to perform on Wednesday night comes after she took on her critics in a string of Twitter messages, challenging some of them to come and speak to her face. 

The Savoy Theatre, where she is currently playing the character of Fanny Brice to sold-out audiences, announced this morning that Sheridan’s understudy would play the role once again this evening. 

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Sheridan has not performed in 'Funny Girl' since last week, before the BAFTA Awards
David M. Benett via Getty Images

Her absence from yesterday (Tuesday)'s performance didn't go down well with everyone, some of whom accused her of failing to carry out her duties as a booked actress. 

One wrote: “Is Sheridan Smith starving, homeless or disabled? No she’s just a nutcase loose canon who needs to get on and do her job. Pathetic.” 

However that didn’t go down too well with Sheridan, who tweeted: “Sat behind your computer u little geek, love to see what u look like. Come say your s*** to my face & let’s see what happens.”

She later assured her followers: “I love you who have my back, beyond belief. Sorry x.”

The tweets were in stark contrast to the message the ‘Cilla’ star sent to fans after cancelling her ‘Funny Girl’ performance on Monday.

Then, she revealed on her Twitter account that her decision to pull out of ‘Funny Girl’ was because she felt the media were being negative towards her, saying: “I apologise profusely. Sorry! I’m not strong enough.”

She later added: “Well done press! U let me down, the cast and everyone who spent money to see me.”

The star’s outburst on Twitter comes just days after she lost out at the BAFTAs. She had been strongly tipped to take home the Award for Best Lead Actress for her role in TV drama ‘The C Word’, but she was pipped by Suranne Jones for ‘Doctor Foster’. ‘The C Word’ also lost out in the Best Drama category.

She was later seen partying with other stars including rapper Professor Green, who posted a picture of the two of them to his Instagram account. 

Tap the first picture below to open this slideshow:

Sheridan Smith: 9 Facts In 90 Seconds
Sheridan Smith: 9 Facts In 90 Seconds(01 of09)
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Name a well-known TV comedy or drama, and, chances are, she's starred in it. Her telly credits include 'The Royle Family', 'Gavin & Stacey', 'Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps', 'Heartbeat', 'Holby City', 'Where The Heart Is', 'Doctors', 'Fat Friends', 'The Royal', 'Mile High', 'The Bill', 'Benidorm', 'Jonathan Creek', 'Mrs Biggs' and 'Cilla' to name well, rather a lot. Just don't tell Sarah Lancashire. (credit:ITV)
Sheridan Smith: 9 Facts In 90 Seconds(02 of09)
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A love of showbiz runs in the family. Sheridan's great-great-grandfather, Benjamin Doubleday, was a respected and well-known banjo player, whilst her parents, Colin and Marilyn, continue to perform as the fabulously named country and western duo, 'The Daltons' (that's them in the pic). And it was on stage with her parents that Sheridan first got a taste for the limelight. "When I was four I joined them on stage doing little dance routines," she said previously. "It wasn't long before I was standing on a stool joining in the singing." (credit:Twitter/Sheridan Smith)
Sheridan Smith: 9 Facts In 90 Seconds(03 of09)
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She once dated her 'Gavin & Stacey' co-star James Corden, but we'll forgive her. She's also been romantically linked to Russell Brand, but hey, who hasn't? Sometimes though, the press get it REALLY wrong when it comes to her love life. “I have lots of gay mates,” she explains. “Every time I go out with one of them, it’s in the papers, ‘Ooh, Sheridan’s new mystery man!’ It makes me scream laughing, their gaydar is so broken!” (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Sheridan Smith: 9 Facts In 90 Seconds(04 of09)
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She got the big thumbs up from critics and audiences alike for her portrayal of Elle Woods in the West End musical 'Legally Blonde', which won her a Best Actress gong at the Laurence Olivier Awards and Theatregoers Choice Awards. No mean feat. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Sheridan Smith: 9 Facts In 90 Seconds(05 of09)
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Despite being a familiar face, she admits to being a complete fangirl around other famous types. “I still get so starstruck,” she admits. “When I did Quartet, a movie Dustin Hoffman directed, with Dame Maggie Smith, Billy Connolly, Tom Courtenay, Pauline Collins and Michael Gambon, I wanted to curtsey every day.” (credit:Ian West/PA Archive)
Sheridan Smith: 9 Facts In 90 Seconds(06 of09)
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In 2012, she unexpectedly pulled out of playing the lead role in the musical version of 'Bridget Jones', throwing the planned West End production into chaos in what was described as a 'pure act of selfishness' by one unnamed person closely involved with the show. Two years later and the musical is still yet to make it to the stage but Sheridan's career has gone from strength to strength. (credit:Jon Furniss/Invision/AP)
Sheridan Smith: 9 Facts In 90 Seconds(07 of09)
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One rumoured major new role for Sheridan is playing the jailed mother of Shannon Matthews, who was at the centre of a hoax kidnap that gripped the nation and beyond in 2008. Jeff Pope, who wrote 'Cilla', is writing the screenplay, and has hinted that he wants Sheridan to play the lead role of Karen Matthews. (credit:Samir Hussein via Getty Images)
Sheridan Smith: 9 Facts In 90 Seconds(08 of09)
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Despite being loved by critics and TV and theatre audiences alike, Sheridan still doesn't think she's much cop and is riddled with self-doubt because she isn't a drama school graduate. "When I'm working alongside someone like Dame Maggie Smith, I can't help thinking 'I don't deserve to be here'," she has said in the past. "You see these formally trained actors with scripts covered in writing, whereas mine will be covered in coffee stains and fag burns. I spend most of the time feeling like I'm totally blagging it." (credit:Mark Robert Milan via Getty Images)
Sheridan Smith: 9 Facts In 90 Seconds(09 of09)
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She has suffered from severe panic attacks in the past and still has one before every opening night. "[I get] very rapid heart rate, sweaty hands, dry mouth. Sometimes when it’s really bad, your hearing goes, your vision goes. Everyone can tell you that you’re going to be fine but none of it goes in," she explained. (credit:Jonathan Short/Invision/AP)
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