Danniella Westbrook Breaks Silence About Her Recent Hospitalisation
After decades of damage, trauma, and intense public scrutiny, Danniella Westbrook is undergoing a life-changing transformation — and she's finally ready to talk about it.
After decades of painful operations, public scrutiny, and personal battles, Danniella Westbrook is speaking candidly about her most recent health crisis and the long road still ahead.
Danniella Westbrook pictured on the set of the BBC soap opera "EastEnders" on December 18, 1985. | Source: Getty Images
Now 52, Westbrook revealed that her latest hospitalisation, which left her on a breathing machine for three days, was yet another reminder of the devastating legacy of addiction.
While filming a new project earlier this year — a comeback role centred around county lines drug gangs — the former "EastEnders" actress suffered severe respiratory complications and was rushed to hospital.
Danniella Westbrook circa 1999. | Source: Getty Images
There, doctors discovered three holes in her mouth, two of which were the size of a 5p coin. These were caused by a botched repair surgery carried out in 2016. Reflecting on the ordeal, Westbrook explained:
"The top of my mouth had started to recede and it had two holes, which were constantly leaking and corroded. Everything I was eating and drinking was going through them."
Danniella Westbrook at the 5th birthday of "Chicago the musical" on November 19, 2002, in London, England. | Source: Getty Images
The damage didn't stop there. Without any structure at the end of her nose, the actress found herself physically suffocating. She explained how her top lip had also been affected, curling upwards due to the pressure from the unrepaired holes.
Danniella Westbrook during the Fight for Life Fundraiser on December 12, 2005, in London, England. | Source: Getty Images
A surgical lip revision, alongside other reconstructive work, has brought some relief — for now. She currently has 68 stitches in her mouth but is optimistic, saying, "You can't even tell!"
Danniella Westbrook at the News of the World's Children's Champions Awards on March 3, 2010. | Source: Getty Images
This recent operation is part of a much larger series of reconstructive procedures aimed at restoring her face and breathing. In the new year, she will travel to Dubai for major surgery under the care of Dr Parviz Sadigh.
Danniella Westbrook at Elstree Studios on February 5, 2016, in Borehamwood, England. | Source: Getty Images
A full £45,000 facelift and neck lift are scheduled, followed by two or three more minor procedures. Recovery is expected to take another two years.
For Westbrook, this transformation is more than cosmetic — it's about reclaiming her life and mental health after years of trauma. "I got rid of all my mirrors," she revealed. "I couldn't look at myself. That's how bad it got."
Danniella Westbrook at Elstree Studios on February 5, 2016, in Borehamwood, England. | Source: Getty Images
"The darkest part of this year was hitting a point where I said, 'Everybody is right, I'm so ugly,'" the actress continued. Online abuse compounded the struggle. Trolls continued to target her appearance, accusing her of still using drugs — claims she strongly denies.
Danniella Westbrook and Christopher Maloney at entertainer, producer, and reality television star David Gest's funeral on April 29, 2016, in London, England. | Source: Getty Images
"I hated the way I looked, and I couldn't breathe properly," she stated. It was during this time that she turned to Dr Sadigh, whom she credits with saving both her life and sanity. She added:
"He is a miracle worker. I owe him so much."
Danniella Westbrook at David Gest's funeral on April 29, 2016, in London, England. | Source: Getty Images
Westbrook's collapse into addiction began long before the paparazzi captured the infamous image of her collapsed septum at the British Soap Awards in 2000.
At just 16, she shot to fame playing Sam Mitchell in "EastEnders." But behind the scenes, she was already heavily reliant on cocaine, having been introduced to the drug at just 14.
Danniella Westbrook with her son, Kai Jenkins, at the ITV Studios on May 11, 2017, in London, England. | Source: Getty Images
At the height of her addiction, she was reportedly consuming three grams of cocaine daily, allegedly spending £250,000 on drugs and another £500,000 attempting to rebuild her face.
Her drug use, paired with osteoporosis, caused her facial structure to disintegrate. Despite undergoing multiple surgeries, the repairs never held.
Danniella Westbrook at the ITV Studios on May 11, 2017, in London, England. | Source: Getty Images
Her private life mirrored her physical deterioration. Westbrook has previously spoken about being kidnapped and sexually assaulted by drug dealers and has admitted to begging to be sectioned during periods of suicidal ideation.
Danniella Westbrook at the ITV Studios on May 11, 2017, in London, England. | Source: Getty Images
At her lowest point, her weight dropped to just six and a half stone. Though she achieved 12 years of sobriety while living in Los Angeles, she relapsed in 2014. It wasn't until 2021 that she publicly declared herself drug-free, following treatment at a clinic in Mijas, Spain.
Danniella Westbrook seen at the ITV Studios on September 4, 2017, in London, England. | Source: Getty Images
Today, Westbrook is not only focused on her physical recovery but also determined to reshape her professional future. She has launched a talent agency and pledged that her clients will not pay the same price for fame that she has.
Danniella Westbrook seen at the ITV Studios on September 4, 2017, in London, England. | Source: Getty Images
As we previously reported, she was finally ready to reclaim her spotlight after years of heartbreak, scandal, and survival — but a devastating health emergency ripped the role of a lifetime away from the Brit, leaving fans stunned and producers scrambling.
Danniella Westbrook seen at the ITV Studios on September 22, 2017, in London, England. | Source: Getty Images
The 52-year-old former "EastEnders" star had been poised to make her blockbuster return in the gritty gangster film "Tales From The Trap," but instead of lights, camera, action — she found herself rushed to hospital in a terrifying turn no one saw coming.
Danniella Westbrook seen at the ITV Studios on September 22, 2017, in London, England. | Source: Getty Images
Just as her dreams were being rekindled, her past health demons came roaring back. On Friday, December 5, 2025, Westbrook reportedly began struggling to breathe — the result of long-standing complications from her collapsed septum.
Danniella Westbrook at the National Film Awards UK on March 28, 2018, in London, England. | Source: Getty Images
The beloved TV personality was immediately taken to the hospital, where doctors intervened. The emergency medical scare was so serious, she was forced to withdraw from filming — and the role has already been recast. A source told the Daily Mail:
"Danniella was rushed into hospital on Friday with breathing difficulties which meant she had to pull out of filming 'Tales From The Trap.'"
Danniella Westbrook at the National Film Awards UK on March 28, 2018, in London, England. | Source: Getty Images
In what was shaping up to be her most explosive role yet, Westbrook had been cast as a gun-dealing gangster granny, set to star alongside "Love Island" star Liv Hawkins, actors Terry Stone, Vas Blackwood, and Judith Shekoni, boxer Frazer Clarke, and Grime MC Amzzino.
Danniella Westbrook at the National Film Awards UK on March 28, 2018, in London, England. | Source: Getty Images
But now, it's former "Slow Horses" and "The Bill" star Kim Tiddy who will fill the role. "She was due to make her movie comeback as a gangster granny selling AK-47s to the gangsters," the insider revealed.
Danniella Westbrook at the celeb MMA press conference and cocktail party on May 5, 2022, in London, England. | Source: Getty Images
"It's really disappointing as I am sure everyone was looking forward to seeing her play that part," they added. Still, producers are reportedly breathing a sigh of relief that they were able to bring in Tiddy at the 11th hour.
"Luckily, the producers were able to replace her with Kim Tiddy, who has just featured in 'Slow Horses' with Gary Oldman and was on 'The Bill' for years," the source said.
Danniella Westbrook at the celeb MMA press conference and cocktail party on May 5, 2022, in London, England. | Source: Getty Images
Westbrook's story is as tragic as it is legendary. The London-born actress was catapulted to fame as a teenager, but her meteoric rise came crashing down when cocaine addiction led to the collapse of her nasal septum and her contract termination in 1996.
Danniella Westbrook at WHSKY fashion launch party on August 3, 2022, in London, England. | Source: Getty Images
She later found reality TV stardom, reaching the final of "Celebrity Big Brother" in 2016, and also appeared on "I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here" in 2003, "Dancing On Ice" in 2010, and "Hollyoaks" in 2013. Yet, behind the camera, her life was spiraling.
Danniella Westbrook at WHSKY fashion launch party on August 3, 2022, in London, England. | Source: Getty Images
During a brutally honest interview on "This Morning" in November 2016, Westbrook confirmed she had relapsed — and had even attempted to take her own life after her boyfriend, George Arnold, suddenly left her. She admitted:
"Yes, I did relapse. I thought my whole world was over when he walked out, because he just got up. It was like he'd never been there. I tried to overdose a lot when George walked out."
Danniella Westbrook at WHSKY fashion launch party on August 3, 2022, in London, England. | Source: Getty Images
The most harrowing revelation came when she admitted to taking "loads of tablets," saying she couldn't even think about what her suicide would have meant for her children.
"When you relapse, and you take drugs, you don't see that," she confessed. "All you see is selfishness and a way out."
Danniella Westbrook at the Shocktober Fest press night on October 3, 2025, in London, England. | Source: Getty Images
Remarkably, Westbrook did turn things around — again. "I'm concentrating on me right now — the recovery, the kids, and getting back to work and this new business," she said in the same interview. "I'm taking every day as a blessing." And she meant it.
Danniella Westbrook at the Shocktober Fest press night on October 3, 2025, in London, England. | Source: Getty Images
In June, she underwent yet another facial reconstruction, this time using rib cartilage to rebuild her nose. She was seen leaving the clinic with a bandage across her face, hand-in-hand with her new love, bare-knuckle fighter Charlie Symonds.
Doctors reportedly used cartilage from her rib for a bone graft across the bridge of her nose in one of her most ambitious surgeries yet.
Danniella Westbrook at the Shocktober Fest press night on October 3, 2025, in London, England. | Source: Getty Images
Once a poster child for early-2000s excess, Westbrook has lived through the fallout — and now, she hopes, she is on the brink of a new beginning.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text "help” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741, or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.