Millions of people watched her grow up on television during the early 1990s, but just a few years later, she was fighting for her life, nearly succumbing to a severe cocaine addiction. This is the incredible and heartbreaking story of Danniella Westbrook, one of the most recognized soap opera stars in TV history.

Danniella Westbrook became a household name playing Sam Mitchell on EastEnders. Her fiery performance captured viewers’ hearts, and she quickly rose to fame as one of the UK’s most beloved soap stars. Yet, behind the scenes, the cost of that fame was devastating. Years of battling addiction left her with broken cheekbones, a collapsed jaw, and deteriorating bones, the lingering consequences of her painful struggles.

How did a talented young actress end up facing such unimaginable hardships? Born in 1973 and raised in the suburban town of Loughton, just outside London, Danniella dreamed of stardom from an early age. Unlike many others in the entertainment world, she didn’t come from a showbiz background—her mother worked as a shop clerk and her father was a taxi driver. Still, she began modeling at the tender age of seven, landing gigs with major international brands like Opel and Coca-Cola. A series of opportunities followed, leading her into the acting world where she would eventually leave an indelible mark.

Danniella’s early career included a role in the West End production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and a brief appearance in Melvyn Bragg’s London Programme. She also featured in Queen’s music video for “The Invisible Man” and even had a cameo in Grange Hill. In a twist of fate, when she was just eleven, she roller-skated across Albert Square as an extra on EastEnders—a moment captured by her local newspaper, which prophetically stated, “Who knows? She might become the show’s star one day!” They couldn’t have been more right.

By sixteen, Danniella’s dream of becoming a celebrity was within reach. She auditioned for and landed the role of Sam Mitchell, the younger sister of Phil and Grant, making her official debut on EastEnders in July 1990. Her natural charisma and spirited performances quickly won over fans, and she became a central figure in many of the show’s biggest storylines. However, after only three years, she shocked many by leaving the show to explore new acting opportunities.

Her departure didn’t mark the end of her fame. In 1995, EastEnders producers invited her to reprise the role that had made her famous. It seemed like the perfect second chance. Yet, behind the scenes, Danniella was battling an escalating cocaine addiction that had already begun to wreak havoc on her life and career.

In truth, her downward spiral had started years before. At just fourteen, Danniella tried cocaine for the first time during a night out at a club. Her use quickly escalated, and by the time she secured her breakout role in EastEnders, she was a regular fixture on London’s vibrant, often dangerous, party scene. Danniella later admitted to using “half a gram” of cocaine “maybe once a week,” a habit that quickly turned from casual experimentation to dangerous dependence.

“Everyone was drinking Coca-Cola in the clubs I went to, and it all looked so glamorous—but it wasn’t,” she said. “I was just too young, too naive, and too easily led.” Reflecting on her early years, she added, “When young people arrive at EastEnders, someone should warn them: ‘Your life is about to change. You’ll be invited to parties, and drugs will be everywhere.'”

Her addiction came with a heavy price. As her dependency deepened, Danniella’s once-promising career began to falter. She started missing work, showing up late, and behaving erratically on set. By 1995, she realized she needed help and checked herself into the Charter Nightingale Clinic in London, a rehab facility known for treating celebrities like Michael Jackson.

The extent of her addiction was staggering. Danniella later revealed that she had spent over $311,300 fueling her drug habit during the peak of her party days. But the damage wasn’t just financial. Her tumultuous relationship with pop singer Brian Harvey of East 17 also fell apart due to her worsening substance abuse, adding personal heartbreak to her professional struggles.

Danniella’s problems extended beyond addiction. Over the years, she faced serious health challenges, including mental health disorders. In a 2017 interview on Loose Women, she spoke candidly about her diagnoses, revealing that she suffers from bipolar disorder, paranoid schizophrenia, and borderline personality disorder. Her health issues didn’t end there. In 2018, a misdiagnosis led to her receiving treatment for womb cancer. Thankfully, she was later given the all-clear, but her health battles continued when she was admitted to intensive care in 2022 after developing sepsis. Thanks to swift medical intervention, she made a full recovery.

Her personal life was no less dramatic. Danniella had a long-term relationship with Brian Harvey in the 1990s before moving on to Robert Fernandez, with whom she had her son, Kai, in 1996. In 1998, she survived a near-fatal car accident. Flung through a windshield at 85 mph, she sustained severe facial injuries, including a dislocated eye. Miraculously, reconstructive surgery spared her from permanent disfigurement.

That same year, she married van driver Ben Morgan, whom she had known for only eight weeks. The couple moved to Australia but divorced less than a year later. In 2001, she married businessman Kevin Jenkins, shortly after giving birth to their daughter, Jodie. For a time, it seemed as though Danniella had found stability. She appeared on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! and in 2003, she declared that she was living a “normal” life, saying, “I do the laundry, run the kids to school, cook dinner, and work occasionally.”

However, her marriage to Jenkins ended in 2014. Although she stepped back from the small screen, Danniella’s life remained anything but ordinary.

Fast forward to 2025, and Danniella is still making headlines—though now, it’s often about her appearance rather than her acting. At 51, she has undergone multiple cosmetic procedures over the years, some of which have resulted in intense physical pain. After surgery in Turkey, she traveled to Portugal, where she experienced severe complications. “I couldn’t even travel without emergency hospital treatment,” she posted on Instagram, describing the experience as “the most excruciating pain I’ve ever felt.”

Public reaction to her cosmetic surgeries has been harsh, but Danniella has been open about her anxieties. “I can’t lie,” she confessed. After liposuction, fillers, and Botox, she admitted being terrified by the swelling and feared she might “explode.”

Not all of her surgeries have been cosmetic. Years of cocaine use caused severe bone damage, forcing her to undergo reconstructive jaw surgery. Reflecting on her past, Danniella said, “I just don’t look like me anymore.” She acknowledged the irreversible effects of her addiction, noting, “The drugs aged me far beyond my years.”

At one point, she woke to find the left side of her face completely sunken—a stark contrast to the bright, confident image she once projected. Despite once being celebrated as a beauty icon, Danniella has endured profound emotional and physical battles. Nevertheless, she continues to share her journey openly with fans and remains a public figure, determined to inspire others with her story of survival and resilience.

Throughout everything—the fame, the addiction, the health battles, the failed relationships—Danniella Westbrook’s story stands as a powerful reminder of how fragile success can be, and how difficult but possible it is to fight your way back from the brink.