Michelle Gayle questions if she could’ve "done more" to help her former ‘EastEnders’ co-star Danniella Westbrook during their younger years.
The 48-year-old star played Hattie Tavernier on the BBC One soap from 1990 to 1993, when Danniella appeared in her first stint as Sam Mitchell on the show, and while she wonders if she could’ve helped her pal out more, she says she has "zero" influence.
Asked if it was "hard" to see Danniella – who battled a drug addiction for years – "self-destruct", she replied: "Yeah. I send her little messages sometimes now but it was hard.
"She was a beautiful girl and got sucked into this world of people telling you it’s glamorous to do this, that or the other when you’re so young and susceptible. Looking back you think, ‘Could I have done more?’
"I have had a go at her once or twice but then I went round to help her once or twice when we were younger. But how much influence have I actually got? Zero."
Michelle insists she didn’t touch drugs or even drink because she didn’t think there would be "second chances for black actors".
She said: "I was overly cautious. I never drank or took drugs because I knew I couldn’t mess things up – I didn’t see second chances for black actors.
"I used to go to the Met Bar and just have water! I was so lame it was laughable."
While Michelle hasn’t appeared in Walford since 1993 when Hattie departed Albert Square to visit her parents in Norwich, with the star leaving the show to pursue a singing career, she would consider returning to the soap for a "really good storyline".
She added to the Metro newspaper: "If they came with a really good storyline I’m sure it would be tempting. And they’re a great team.
"I definitely haven’t said I’ll never do ‘EastEnders’ again, it’s just I’m doing other things at the moment."
Michelle Gayle questions if she could’ve done ‘more’ for Danniella Westbrook
