Danniella Westbrook says she will always be known as the "cokehead girl" off ‘EastEnders’.
The 43-year-old actress – who has confirmed she is expecting a baby with her fiancé Alan Thomason – is putting her past behind her but she knows it won’t ever totally go away.
She said: "It doesn’t matter what happens in the future when this little one arrives. I could win 12 Oscars and I would still be known as the cokehead girl off ‘EastEnders’ … I’ll tell you why [I’ve changed this time]. I went into rehab for nine weeks earlier this year and got to the root of my problems. I suffered abuse as a child. It led to me starting on drugs at 15.
"If you get everything dealt with and put away as far back as you can, you stand more of a chance. I’m a cocaine addict. If I’m going to find coke, I’m gonna climb a mountain to find it. But I can’t worry about that. My life is different now. My demons have been put to bed. Now I can move forward."
And Danniella is incredibly happy with Alan and they are planning to get married next year.
She told the Sunday Mirror newspaper: "Alan is a hundred, million per cent the reason for my current happiness. I’ve been lost a lot in my life. Now I’m centred. People can say what they like. Alan is not a user. It took him five days to realise I even work in TV. He looks after me …
"He’s a man for a start. He’s open, honest and loyal. I was honest with him about everything. He doesn’t give a monkey’s about my past … We’re getting married in Spain some time next year. We’ll put it together in two weeks – as long as my kids, his mum and our close friends are there. We’d like a secret beach, we’ll just throw a stage and fairy lights down, put some music on and eat Spanish food. It will be gorgeous."
Danniella Westbrook: I won’t ever shake off my past
