Sheridan Smith: is The Teacher star engaged to actor ex boyfriend Alex Lawler - their relationship explained

British actress Sheridan Smith has sparked engagement rumours after posting a picture on Instagram featuring ex-boyfriend Alex Lawler.

This is everything you need to know.

Who is Sheridan Smith?

Smith is an English actress, singer and presenter who was born on 25 June 1981 in Lincolnshire, England.

From 1995 to 2001, she was a member of the National Youth Music Theatre where she performed a number of understudy roles in productions such as Into the Woods and Bugsy Malone.

Smith became a household name after appearing in sitcoms like The Royale Family, Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, Gavin & Stacey and Benidorm.

She has also starred in dramas like Jonathan Creek, Mrs Biggs, Cilla, The C Word, Black Work and The Moorside.

Her feature film roles include appearances in the likes of The Tower Block, Quartet and The Huntsman: Winter’s War.

As well as her on screen credits, Smith has also performed on the West End in musicals like Little Shop of Horrors, Legally Blonde, Funny Girl and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat.

In 2011 and 2012, she won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for Legally Blonde, and Best Performance in a Supporting Role for Flare Path, respectively.

In 2013, she won a BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress for her role in Mrs Biggs.

In 2017, she released her debut album, simply titled Sheridan, which she followed up with her second album the following year, called A Northern Soul.

Is she engaged?

Speculation around Smith’s relationship was sparked following a selfie with her ex Alex Lawler.

She posted the picture on Instagram, with the caption “Life begins at 40, 40/40” with a smiling and a love heart emoji.

In the picture, her hand can be seen with a ring on her ring finger.

Despite speculation however, there has been no official news regarding the possible engagement.

Smith had previously been engaged to her fiancé Jamie Horn, who she met on Tinder. The two were engaged between 2018 and 2021, and together they have a son who was born in May 2020.

Horn and Smith appeared together in September last year in Sheridan Smith: Becoming Mum, an ITV documentary where Smith shared her pregnancy journey and explored her mental health.

Their split was announced on 3 July 2020, with the pair issuing a statement via The Sun.

They said: “It is with great sadness that we have decided to have some time apart.

“We both remain completely committed to raising our beautiful boy Billy together. We ask that you respect our privacy during this difficult time. Thank you.”

Who is Alex Lawler?

Lawler is Smith’s ex boyfriend - the two were involved together over 20 years ago.

Smith revealed that the two were back together after posting a video of the two of them on Instagram with the caption “So pleased this fitty I dated back in the day (20 years ago) is back in my life! Life works in mysterious ways - miss u Mr L” and a love heart emoji.

Lawler is also an actor, and has handful of credits under his belt, including in Dream Team, Bigga Than Ben, Lost in Austen and Blue Murder.

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