Danniella Westbrook, best known for playing Sam Mitchell on EastEnders, has undergone numerous cosmetic procedures in an attempt to restore her face after her cocaine addiction caused her nose and cheekbones to deteriorate. The 49-year-old actress first appeared on the soap in 1990, but her drug use led to her septum rotting away by 1999, forcing scenes to be filmed from above to hide her nostrils.
Westbrook has since had multiple surgeries, including a procedure where part of her rib was inserted into her face. In 2018, she revealed that her cheekbones were 'wasting away' due to osteoporosis caused by snorting cocaine laced with a cattle tranquilliser. She also had her teeth removed and replaced with screws, which cut her tongue when she spoke.
The actress turned down an offer of £500,000 worth of facial surgery on the NHS, opting instead to have work done in Turkey. In May, she underwent a thread lift, liposuction in her cheeks and lips, fat grafting on her chin, and jawline etching. However, she later shared a bloodied and bruised photo on Instagram, saying she 'wanted to die' after the operation.
Westbrook claimed the Turkish surgeon performed the procedure without anaesthesia, slapped her during the operation, and confiscated her phone when she begged him to stop. She was stitched up by a medical assistant and sent home without pain relief or antibiotics. She was later hospitalised in Portugal, where she began losing sight in one eye.
Despite her traumatic experiences, Westbrook has admitted to swapping her drug addiction for a cosmetic surgery addiction. She has had five surgeries in Turkey and continues to seek procedures to repair her face, though she has expressed regret over her choices.
