Westbrook to make 'Enders return?

Former EastEnders actress Danniella Westbrook could potentially make a return to the Walford soap, a tabloid report claims.

Producers are allegedly considering writing the 35-year-old back into the soap as Sam Mitchell, despite Kim Medcalf being the last actress to play her.

A source told The Sun: "[Danniella] was the original Sam and the chemistry with Sid Owen as Ricky was exciting stuff. If she returns it will be the talk of soapland for months."

They added: "This would hark back to the Albert Square brat pack - Ricky, Bianca, Janine and Sam."

Sam was last seen in Albert Square in 2005 when she was falsely accused of murdering Den Watts. However, when his wife Chrissie was exposed as Den's real killer, Sam was released pending trial for perverting the course of justice.

While on bail, however, the prospect of a stint in prison became too much to handle and Sam escaped to Brazil.

Westbrook's time with EastEnders between 1990 and 2000 was marred by her drug addiction. The press attention to her private life caused her to quit her role in 1993. She was then asked to return to the soap in 1995, but producers quickly realised her ongoing drug habit was affecting her work and axed her a year later.

In 1999, EastEnders executives asked Westbrook to return for a third time, before being axed again in 2000. Medcalf then took over the role for three years between 2002 and 2005.

Westbrook was last seen on television in 2003 when she appeared in the second series of ITV jungle reality series I'm A Celebrity…