Sheridan Smith is best known for her stellar film and TV career, but away from the cameras, her love life has often attracted attention. Back in the late 2000s, she famously dated her Gavin and Stacey co-star, James Corden, which ended in heartbreak for the former late-night talk show host.
While they played siblings Smithy and Rudi in the BBC sitcom, Sheridan, 44, and James, 47, fell in love in real life, with James once telling The Mirror that the actress was the "love of [his] life". The pair were together for around two years from 2007 to 2009 after reportedly first meeting on the set of Fat Friends in 2002.
Following a brief breakup in 2008 and their final split a year later, James admitted that he had been left feeling "heartbroken and lost". "I'd had a relationship with Sheridan, which was heartbreaking, when you think something might work and it doesn't. And I felt a bit lost," the actor and comedian told The Times.
He added: "And feeling lost, and feeling heartbroken, and feeling single for the first time in your adult life, at the very moment when you become a little bit famous, is quite a potent mix."
© Getty ImagesThey've remained friendly
It's been nearly two decades since the couple dated, and they've both since been in different relationships. Sheridan went on to get engaged to former insurance broker Jamie Horn and welcomed a son named Billy with him before they split in 2021.
Meanwhile, James has been married to TV producer Julia Carey since 2012. The couple welcomed their first child, a son named Max, in 2011, followed by their two daughters, Carey and Charlotte, in 2014 and 2017, respectively.
In 2024, James and Sheridan reunited on-screen for the final episode of Gavin and Stacey. After James praised his ex for her acting ability and said he believed she would be "regarded as one of the greats", Sheridan told Good Housekeeping in 2025: "I love James. We dated a long time ago, so it’s lovely to hear him say that. It’s made me quite emotional. Him saying that means the world."
Sheridan's new TV role
© BBC / Element Pictures / James StackSheridan is back on screens on Sunday night in a brand new BBC crime thriller series called The Cage from The Responder's BAFTA-winning creator Tony Schumacher. Sheridan and her co-star Michael Socha (This is England) play two casino workers, Leanne and Matty, who discover they're both skimming cash from the same safe.
According to the show's synopsis, "their lives are set on a collision course; with each other, the local gangster they're stealing from, and the police".
"They're not great at stealing. My character Leanne is much more organised but Matty is letting the side down; he's not very reliable," Sheridan said while speaking about her new series on ITV's This Morning recently.
