DANNIELLA Westbrook has admitted she would have “ended up dead” if her drug addiction hadn’t come to light.
The former EastEnders star, 48, explained that being exposed in the media including the notorious images of her drug ravaged nose saved her life.
Danniella revealed that her drug habits started before finding fame – saying she “already had issues”.
“They were there, but they weren’t as heightened,” the soap star said.
“I didn’t have as much money as I did when I was working on a big show.
“I already had issues, a lot of preconceived issues as well but really the media saved me if anything more than once.
“By putting me all over the papers, by exposing me in a sense because I had to do something with my life, otherwise I would’ve ended up dead.
“For everyone down there’s an up as they say. For me, just being exposed by everything, you’ve got to look at the positives of it.”
Danniella admitted that she is the only person that can turn her life around after the stress “nearly killed” her mum.
“Only I can turn this around,” she said on GB News.
“My children couldn’t comprehend it, I nearly killed my mum the stress it put her under, worrying that she was going to get a call that I’ll be dead somewhere.
“She didn’t speak to me for three years; I just went off crazy.”
“Somebody put me in a meeting and I got where I needed it to be, I think I was just done, I was sick and tired of being sick and tired.
“For me that’s where you need to be, you can’t do it for your kids or your job otherwise you’re faking it to make it and it’s just going to come back to you.
“You’re either in or you’re out, it’s just the way it is.”
It comes after the EastEnders legend was forced to deny that she had split from her jailbird fiancé – and the sparkling rock seen on her finger last week certainly puts that rumour to bed.
Danniella took to her Instagram Story to show off the jewellery and told how she and her beau were “well and truly still on”.
Speaking in her split denial video, she said: ‘I’ve just popped on quickly to say that I have not split up from my fella.”
She then flashed her engagement ring-clad hand closer to the camera, before affirming: “As you can see we are well and truly still on and life is good.”
The star sparked split rumours herself on Monday as she shared a cryptic post about heartbreak.
Danniella had shared the rhyme: “Roses are flowers, pebbles are stones, here’s a big shout out to those on their own.
“Think yourself lucky and try not to sob, look on the bright side you’re not a k**b!”
Later on, she hinted that she had found her perfect wedding dress as she shared a snap of a lace gown and wrote “everything” in the caption.
Her jailbird lover is currently serving time in prison for counterfeit goods and engaging in a “fight with someone”, by her own admission.
Danniella recently detailed her relationship with her convict boyfriend and their future X-rated plans together once he is released.
“We lived together in Marbella,” she said, before confirming their sexual history: “I wouldn’t wait that long to see if he’s any good.”
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She added: “There’s nothing like that going on now though, they listen in to all your phone calls and screen the emails and photocopy all of the letters so we can’t risk anything rude on there as all the screws will see it first.
“But there will be many sleepless nights on my gorgeous new bed once he’s out.”
