Michelle Gayle says her former ‘EastEnders’ co-star Danniella Westbrook was regularly offered drugs for free in the 90s.
The 47-year-old actress-and-singer portrayed teenager Hattie Tavernier in the British soap from 1990 and until 1993, alongside Danniella (Sam Mitchell) and Sid Owen (Ricky Butcher), and has revealed that there was always "temptation" to do cocaine and other substances as it was readily available in nightclubs and seen as "glamorous".
Michelle always said no to drugs and never wanted to be involved in that scene, but Danniella got caught up with the lifestyle and has endured a well-documented battle with addiction to this day.
Speaking on UK TV’s ‘Loose Women’ on Tuesday (27.02.18), Michelle – who quit ‘EastEnders’ in 1993 to embark on a pop career – said: "There was a lot of temptation. The area I was in was undergoing a lot of drugs. When you’re on ‘EastEnders’ and you’re a teenager and people are presenting drugs in a glamorous way, I’d seen the downside.
"Me, Sid (Owen) and Danniella were peas in pod. Danniella was the beautiful young girl. She used to be offered drugs, she didn’t have to buy any. It was dressed up as the glamorous thing to do."
Danniella – who has children, Kai, 21, and Jody, 14, with her ex-husband Kevin Jenkins – recently admitted she will always be known as the "cokehead girl" off ‘EastEnders’.
The 44-year-old actress – who even lost part of her septum due to her heavy use of the snorted drug in May 2000 – is trying to put her troubles behind her.
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."
Michelle Gayle: Danniella Westbrook got hooked on free drugs
