Amy Winehouse’s best friend has revealed that the singer nearly died two years earlier than her eventual death following an accidental overdose, but was saved by actress Sheridan Smith.
Tyler James, who lived with Amy in North London, thanked Sheridan for giving him and Amy more time together after she raised the alarm on discovering the star musician close to death.
Tyler 39, told The Sun: “Sheridan saved Amy’s life two years before she died. Sheridan was an angel who always did her best for Amy.
“She would have been dead years earlier if it hadn’t been for Sheridan. I will always be grateful to her because she gave me that extra time with Amy.”
(Image: WireImage)
In Tyler’s new book, My Amy, he describes how Amy and Sheridan met in a queue for London club Proud Galleries in Camden.
According to Tyler the pair hit off and bonded over their shared struggles with “demons and mental health issues”, plus both women had attended London’s Sylvia Young Theatre School as teens.
As Sheridan and Amy became closer, the the Cilla actress would stay over more where they would all watch episodes of Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps, where Sheridan got her big break.
It was in 2009 that Amy had her brush with death after an overdose, three years after she had her defining album Back To Black in 2006.
(Image: WireImage)
In an extract from his book shared in The Sun, Tyler writes: “I remember the morning Amy nearly died as though it was yesterday.
“We’d had a great evening. I had gone up to bed but, at about 6am, Sheridan came into my room, saying, ‘Come down, there’s something wrong with Amy’.”
Tyler remembers finding Amy with a tea towel in her hand, drying plates and her eyes looked like she was almost asleep.
Amy had taken a full bottle of night nurse to help her get some rest but the levels of paracetamol she consumed were enough to kill her.
(Image: PA)
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Tyler, who suffered from addiction himself, said: ” “I knew she was taking Night Nurse to get to sleep, like I did when I used to drink.
“I’d give her a shot sometimes because I didn’t want her to have the whole bottle as it is dangerous if you don’t use it properly. It’s full of paracetamol. Overdose and your liver will fail.”
In hospital Amy was thankfully looked after by medical staff and recovered but Tyler only puts that down to the quick response of her good friend Sheridan Smith.
Sadly on July 23, 2011 Amy eventually succumbed to her demons and she died of alcohol poisoning at the age of just 27.
*Frank offers confidential advice about drugs and addiction (email frank@talktofrank.com, message 82111 or call 0300 123 6600) or the NHS has information about getting help.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
