Westbrook: 'I'm a bit of a geek'

Soap star Daniella Westbrook has insisted that her wild partying days are behind her.

The EastEnders actress, who plays Sam Mitchell, claimed that she now prefers listening to Radio 4 to living a showbiz lifestyle.

"I'm a bit of a geek who listens to Radio 4 and puts her kids' shoes in the Aga to keep them warm in winter - that sort of girl," she told the Daily Star.

"I haven't come back for the celeb thing - there's no mileage in that. I'm just lucky it's come back round for me."

Westbrook, 35, first appeared in EastEnders between 1990 and 2000. However, her time on the show was marred by continual drug revelations and press coverage of her private life. Kim Medcalf took over the role between 2002 and 2005.

Speaking about her soap return, the 35-year-old said. "I have to earn their respect back. I'll be great closure for me to finish something I started. It's also important that cast members who I let down when I was using drugs see me in a different light."

When asked whether she could deal with the pressure of returning, Westbrook said: "People keep saying that everyone is worried about how I'm going to cope but I'm a 35-year-old wife and mother, and I cope on a daily basis.

"I've had eight years of being clean and steady, and my family are all behind me because they know it’s the right time."