EX-EastEnders star Danniella Westbrook has hit out at the BBC for not telling her they had recast her Albert Square character with a different actress.
The Sun on Sunday revealed last week that Kim Medcalf, 48, will play Sam Mitchell — the fiery daughter of Queen Vic legend Peggy Mitchell, with filming beginning this month.
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But 48-year-old Danniella — who made her debut as Sam in 1990 and last appeared in the role in 2016 — told how she was shocked when the news broke.
She said: “I’ve been known as Sam Mitchell for 32 years. But nobody at EastEnders contacted me to let me know they had recast Kim in the role. There wasn’t even an email to my agent. I was shocked because they do have a responsibility to tell me and someone should have.”
Danniella has struggled with drug addiction since she was 14 and abused cocaine so badly it destroyed part of her nose.
She said: “The bosses have seen me go through addiction and they have no idea where I am today.
“Thankfully I’m OK. But if I hadn’t been it could have had very serious consequences for me.
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