Sacked Hollyoaks star Stephanie Davis has admitted she turned to alcohol to cope with a gruelling workload and the death of her grandmother.
The Merseyside-based actress, who played fiery character Sinead O'Connor, was sacked from the soap with "immediate effect" after storming off set last month.
She told the Daily Mirror that she had been on a downward spiral after her grandmother Muriel died a few months ago.
And she explained that working six days a week had left her feeling "suffocated".
The 22-year-old said: "I will hold my hands up and admit I've been drinking too much. I've been struggling for a while and booze was an escape for me."
Although she would "typically" drink a mix of prosecco, vodka and tequila, Davis denied having a serious booze problem or ever being drunk on set.
Nominated for a best actress gong at the 2014 Soap Awards, her character's recent storylines include her giving birth to a baby fathered by her gay best friend and being held hostage in a siege.