Danniella Westbrook

From a young age, Danniella dreamed of being a champion show jumper, but at seven she entered show business instead. She worked as a child model, appearing in catalogues and beauty contests, and eventually became the face of high street store Tammy Girl. She attended The Sylvia Young Theatre School on weekends and later full-time. Her big break came on 19 July 1990, when she first appeared as Sam Mitchell on EastEnders. The role made her a household name, with her character involved in storylines like a teenage elopement with Ricky Butcher and a brief modeling career. She left the show in February 1993, but returned in 1995, again in 1999, and finally in 2009, with a recast in between. Alongside EastEnders, she appeared in the TV series Frank Stubbs Promotes in 1993, playing a moody teenager opposite actors Timothy Spall and Lesley Sharp.

Away from acting, Danniella's life has been heavily documented. She struggled with cocaine addiction for many years, which led to her septum disintegrating and caused her work to suffer. She gave birth to her son Kai on 23 November 1996, and her daughter Jodie on 5 September 2001. After getting clean, she pursued a career in television presenting and wrote an autobiography, The Other Side of Nowhere, released in April 2006. In early 2010, she competed in the reality show Dancing on Ice, where she topped the leader board in week 10 before being eliminated in the semi-final. Today, she remains a well-known figure in British entertainment.