Danniella Westbrook looks unrecognisable in throwback snap with Dame Barbara Windsor
DANNIELLA Westbrook looked unrecognisable in a throwback to her soap heyday with EastEnders icon Dame Barbara Windsor.
The Sam Mitchell actress, 49, posted a sweet tribute to her former co-star who died in 2020 aged 83.
With Dame Barbara's birthday anniversary coming up in August, it seems Danniella took to Instagram in a moment of remembrance for her pal.
She posted a sweet snap showing them together - with Danniella looking completely different to her current image following her face surgery in Portugal.
In the image, which she captioned: "Thinking of you Bar," Danniella looked stunning with long blonde hair and a sweeping fringe.
She wore a crisp white suit jacket and showcased a glowing tan in the snap, which also saw Peggy Mitchell actress Barbara flashing a huge smile.
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Danniella recently said that she "can't believe what's been done to her" following surgery to rebuild her nose.
The actress had hoped to have her nose rebuilt after it collapsed after years battling a cocaine addiction.
Yet following surgery she temporarily lost eyesight in one eye and thought she was going to 'die'.
Dame Barbara was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2014 and made the news public in 2018.
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The 4ft 10in star died "peacefully" in December 2020 at a London care home with her husband Scott Mitchell by her side.
In a moving tribute, he called her his "precious Bar" and said: "I've lost my wife, my best friend and soul mate."
He said the cherished actress's final weeks were "typical of how she lived her life" and "full of humour, drama and a fighting spirit until the end".
Meanwhile, this year Danniella revealed the reason she did not return to the BBC soap.
She first appeared as Sam Mitchell in July of 1990 before departing and returning several times due to her tumultuous personal life.
Last year it was announced that Kim Medcalf would be taking over the role for good – leaving Danniella fuming.
Talking of her new book, she told the "It will include all of my Dancing On Ice stuff, my last time at EastEnders, basically everything from the last 13 years so.
"My last stint on EastEnders, why I never got asked back and the reason why, and the politics behind it all.
"There are some real home truths in there."
Kim originally took on the role of Sam Mitchell between 2002 and 2005, before being asked back again.
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And at the time Danniella made no secret of the fact she wasn't happy that the BBC soap didn't approach her about returning.
