Sheridan Smith, the two-time Olivier Award winner and BAFTA darling (Cilla, The Teacher), has delivered what critics are calling her “career-best performance” in Cleaning Up, ITV’s six-part financial thriller that has exploded onto screens and instantly claimed the title of 2025’s most gripping drama. Premiering January 9, 2025, and available to binge on ITVX, the series—written by Mark Marlow (The Capture) and directed by Michael Keillor (Line of Duty)—follows Sam (Smith), a devoted single mother and office cleaner who stumbles into an insider-trading scandal that turns her quiet life into a heart-stopping game of deception, danger, and survival.
By day, Sam is the warm, dependable mum everyone trusts—racing to school runs, juggling debts, and shielding her daughters from her gambling addiction. By night, she becomes someone ruthless, fearless, and hiding secrets her children must never discover. When she overhears a stockbroker’s phone call in the City of London offices she cleans, Sam sees a way out of financial ruin: one insider tip, one quick bet, one chance to change everything. But as the money rolls in, so do the consequences—a ghost from her hidden past resurfaces, suspicion closes in, and Sam faces the impossible choice: which life—and which truth—is worth killing for?
Smith is electric as Sam, her eyes flickering between desperation and defiance in a performance that’s already earned Golden Globe buzz. “Sheridan carries the entire show on her shoulders—and it’s mesmerizing,” wrote The Guardian. The supporting cast—Joanne Froggatt as the ruthless broker, Matthew McNulty as Sam’s ex, and newcomer Aimee Kelly as her teenage daughter—add layers of tension and heartbreak.
Critics are unanimous: 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, with The Times calling it “the most addictive British thriller since Line of Duty.” Viewers are obsessed: “I binged all six episodes in one night—Sheridan Smith is a force,” tweeted @DramaQueenUK (50k likes).
Cleaning Up isn’t just a thriller—it’s a masterclass in maternal love pushed to breaking point. Stream now on ITVX. You won’t look away.
News
‘I am currently on board the MV Hondius, and what’s happening right now is very real for all of us here.
A seriously ill British crew member is still trapped on the MV Hondius cruise ship following a suspected outbreak of the deadly hantavirus infection. Three people have died so far from the rare rat-borne virus on the Dutch-flagged vessel, which set off in…
A seriously ill British crew member is still trapped on the MV Hondius cruise ship following a suspected outbreak of the deadly hantavirus infection.
A seriously ill British crew member is still trapped on the MV Hondius cruise ship following a suspected outbreak of the deadly hantavirus infection. Three people have died so far from the rare rat-borne virus on the Dutch-flagged vessel, which set off in…
THEY’RE BACK — AND THIS TIME THE FRIENDSHIP GETS MESSIER, FUNNIER, AND WAY MORE EMOTIONAL UNDER THE ITALIAN SUN!
Tina Rey and Will Forte return for the second season of “The Four Seasons” as the Netflix series moves from the East Coast of the United States to Italy. Others that are featured among the cast are Kerri Kenney-Silver, Marco Calvani, Erika Henningsen, and two-time Oscar-nominee Colman…
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN DOWNTON ABBEY COLLIDES WITH TOTAL COMEDY CHAOS? THIS WILD BRITISH PERIOD SPOOF TURNS HIGH SOCIETY INTO PURE MADNESS!
If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if “Downton Abbey” collided with “Airplane!,” look no further than “Fackham Hall.” The new British period comedy, directed by Jim O’Hanlon (“Catastrophe,” “A Touch of Cloth”), finally has its first trailer — and it looks…
THIS DARK BRITISH CRIME DRAMA FEELS LIKE WATCHING THE DEVIL WALK FREE — AND PETER CAPALDI MAKES EVERY SCENE UNCOMFORTABLY INTENSE!
Criminal Record (Apple TV) Rating: Four out of five stars. The ghost of Malcolm Tucker, the foul-mouthed spin doctor from politics sitcom The Thick Of It, was looming over Westminster on Tuesday. Dame Emily Thornberry’s revelation that the Prime Minister’s…
THIS HIGH-STAKES NETFLIX CRIME DRAMA TURNS A CLASSIC HEIST STORY INTO A BRUTAL MIND GAME — AND THE CAT-AND-MOUSE CHASE NEVER LETS UP!
Netflix’s highly anticipated new crime drama, Nemesis, is set to bring a high-stakes cat-and-mouse game to the streets of Los Angeles. As the first project from the creative partnership between Power Universe creator Courtney A. Kemp, Tani Marole, and Netflix, the series centers…
End of content
No more pages to load
