Sheridan Smith has admitted she was left "star-struck" by Cilla Black.
The actress is playing the legendary entertainer in ITV's upcoming mini-series Cilla, and felt in awe of the presenter, overcome with nerves when the two went to dinner together.
Sheridan Smith as Cilla"When you've watched someone that long - I've grown up watching her so I was in awe of her - whenever you're playing somebody, you kind of fall in love with them and you become obsessed with them because you're watching them everyday and reading their autobiography.
"So when we went to dinner I was really star struck and really nervous and I think I babbled away at her..." Smith said at a London Q&A for the series.
She added that there is a pressure to perfect the portrayal of the singer, but it was an "honour" to take on the role.
"It's a huge responsibility because you just don't want to let them down and as far as the moments that might seem unsympathetic, I just think she was in a man's world and I just admire her strength.
"It was pressure but just an honour to play her because I'm a huge fan of hers."
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