Danniella Westbrook has admitted she did suffer a drugs relapse, after splitting from her boyfriend.
The former ‘EastEnders’ actress revealed she took cocaine after George Arnold walked out on her last month, as she battled depression.
Danniella has been struggling with her mental health in recent months, having also been battling septicemia, which was caused by rogue dental work.
Speaking to Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield on Tuesday’s (15 November) edition of ‘This Morning’, the recovering addict said she was left on the edge after George called things off.
“Yeah I did relapse,” she admitted. “I thought my whole world was over when he walked out, because he just got up, it was like he’d never been there.”
Danniella went on to admit she’d attempted suicide, saying: “I tried to overdose a lot when George walked out, but it just turns out he never had a girlfriend before me, so it all unravels and you know it was very difficult.”
Addressing the effect it had on her children: “When you relapse and you take drugs, you don’t see that [effect on your kids], all you see is selfishness and a way out. So you carry on taking more drugs and you get to that point when you’re so low and you’re on such a come-down that you’re like ‘I just want to kill myself’ and it’s the most selfish, horrible thing and that’s drugs.”
Speaking about how her life has spiralled since having botched dental implants, Danniella said: “I had all my top teeth out and implants put in on screws. It started to swell and it gave me septicemia that went in through here in the roof of the mouth, all the gum here is gone.
“I think the whole lot of it spiralled me into depression, coming out of ‘Big Brother’ should have been my busiest year. I came out of there and I was so excited to get back on my feet and busy and people got to know who I was, which was nice, and this happened [pointing at her mouth] and I haven’t been able to work all year, which has just spiralled me back down into a depression.”
Danniella was previously forced to deny rumours of a relapse, when she was pictured with a plaster under her nose, which led some fans to believe her septum had collapsed again.
However, she insisted the plaster was due to her septicemia - something which she reiterated during her ‘This Morning’ appearance.
Danniella had been clean for the past two years, after returning to rehab in 2014, when she relapsed.
Prior to that, she had not used cocaine in a decade, after her severe addiction eventually led to her losing her role as Sam Mitchell in ‘EastEnders’ in 2000.
She reprised her soap role for Peggy Mitchell’s funeral earlier this year, after making it to the final of ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ in January.
‘This Morning’ airs weekdays at 10.30am on ITV.
Need friendly, confidential advice on drugs?More useful websites and helplines:
- Contact FRANK on 0300 123 6600 or visit the website for alternative contact methods.
- Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393
- Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI - this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill.)
- Get Connected is a free advice service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email: help@getconnected.org.uk
