Phone: (512) 447-2112
Address: 2204 Willow St, Austin, Texas, USA
Email: [email protected]
Danniella Westbrook's net worth stands at around £500,000 according to recent reports. This figure contrasts sharply with the estimated £38 million (approximately £30,365,040) mentioned by some sources. Financial estimates for the former EastEnders star show wide variations that reflect her roller-coaster career and personal challenges through the decades.
Her early success on one of Britain's biggest soap operas couldn't shield her from financial setbacks. Her documented battle with addiction severely affected her finances. She spent an astounding £400 daily at the peak of her cocaine dependency.
The total cocaine expenses reached approximately £250,000 during her struggles. She also invested around £20,000 in reconstructive nose surgery. Westbrook has openly admitted her poor money management skills, saying "If I had £500, I'd spend a million". Her net worth in 2023 versus 2024 tells just one part of her complex story that shows her transformation before and after addiction.
Danniella Westbrook Net Worth: What We Know
Finding out Danniella Westbrook's real net worth isn't easy, as different sources tell different stories. The best estimates put her current wealth at about £500,000 – not much compared to what she could have made when she was at her peak.
What different sources say about her worth
The numbers don't add up when you look at different reports.
While solid sources stick to the £500,000 figure, some questionable ones throw out some wild numbers:
- One sketchy source claims she'll be worth USD 15 million by 2025
- Another unreliable report throws out an unlikely £30.3 million
- People who know the industry say she made between £1.5-£2.5 million in her career
Celebrity PR expert Mark Borkowski puts it bluntly: "I would be pretty confident in predicting she has less than £10k in the bank and no assets to her name". He thinks Westbrook "lives from pay-cheque to pay-cheque" even though she earned good money.
Her money story over the years
Westbrook made serious money in the 1990s during her EastEnders days. She admits she wasn't great with money, and it hit her finances hard. "If I had £500, I'd spend a million. I'd have spent it 12 times over before it even hit the bank," she said.
She started off well enough: "When I first joined EastEnders, I was good. I had an account, my agent would put my wages in, and I'd split it all up". Her spending habits went off the rails as her paychecks got bigger.
Money matters: 2023 vs 2024
Her bank balance hasn't improved much between 2023 and 2024. She could make about £120,000 a year just from tabloid deals, but money problems still follow her around. One reality TV show could double that – she got £200,000 for Celebrity Big Brother.
The future might look brighter. Experts say she could make up to £500,000 in two years with smart management. These days, she makes money from reality TV spots, some acting jobs, and social media deals, backed by her 172,000 Instagram followers.
From Child Star to EastEnders Fame
Danniella Westbrook started her trip to fame well before her EastEnders role made her a household name. She was born on November 5, 1973, in Walthamstow, London. Her modest beginnings gave no clues about the rocky career that would later affect her net worth.
Early life and family background
Andy, a cab driver turned carpet contractor, and Sue, a shop assistant, raised Westbrook in Loughton, Essex. Her parents became successful property developers, which gave her a stable childhood.
She grew up with her younger brother Jay and elder half-brother Justin from her father's previous marriage. Westbrook often spoke about coming from "a very loving family".
Young Westbrook loved horse riding passionately. She dreamed of becoming famous, which ended up changing her life's direction. Later in life, she revealed a darker truth – she had endured child abuse from age seven.
First roles and entry into acting
At seven years old, Westbrook's entertainment career kicked off with child modeling for Asda. Next's children's fashionware signed her soon after, and she became the face of high street store Tammy Girl. She expanded her portfolio with Weetabix campaigns, Opel cars advertisements, and Coca-Cola commercials.
Her acting career developed in parallel. She played a child thief in Melvyn Bragg's London Program and landed a role in the West End production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
More roles came her way, including an appearance in Queen's music video for "The Invisible Man" and a small part in Grange Hill.
Landing the role of Sam Mitchell in EastEnders
At eleven, Westbrook's first EastEnders appearance was as an extra roller skating across Albert Square. Her local paper ran her picture with a prediction that proved true: "who knows, one day she may be the show's star!"
The sixteen-year-old Westbrook beat eighty other hopefuls to win Sam Mitchell's role (Phil and Grant's younger sister) five years later. Producers liked her "round face fitted" the Mitchell family look. Her character's debut showed Sam giving Ricky Butcher a "flirty backward glance" that made him walk into a lamp-post.
The producers gave her a three-month contract at first. Her performance impressed them so much that they kept her on, believing "the character of Sam had gelled well with the others". This role became her career's defining moment, one she would return to many times over the next twenty years.
The Cost of Addiction: How Drugs Changed Everything
Cocaine addiction took a massive toll on Danniella Westbrook's net worth, eating up around £250,000 of her money during her darkest days. Her casual drug experimentation turned into a devastating habit that would reshape her life and career completely.
Starting cocaine at 14
The first time Westbrook tried cocaine she was just 14 years old, a choice that would follow her for decades. She landed her EastEnders role at 16 and soon became part of London's club scene where her drug use got worse.
"I was always in clubs and everyone was doing coke and it was glamorous – except obviously, it wasn't at all. I was just very young, very stupid and very easily led," she confessed.
Impact on her EastEnders career
Her drug habit hit her work life hard. She showed up late or missed work so often that the show fired her in 1996. Things got really bad when she had a cocaine seizure and fell down the Queen Vic stairs – Ross Kemp caught her before she hit bottom.
A producer just said: "pick her up and make her work". She later owned up: "I was doing gear when I was on EastEnders for a long time".
Financial toll of addiction
Her habit peaked at five grams daily, costing her about £400 each day. She figures she blew more than £250,000 on cocaine. "I can't imagine the amount of money I've spent on drugs, but it's cost me everything, it almost cost me my life," she said later.
Health consequences and surgeries
The drug's damage showed most visibly in her eroded nasal septum, which shocked everyone at the 2000 British Soap Awards. These photos of Danniella Westbrook before and after her addiction became a warning to others. She later went through reconstructive surgery that cost her heavily.
Rehab attempts and relapses
Westbrook tried rehab many times over the years. Her 2019 appearance on The Jeremy Kyle Show led to another rehab stay that she says "saved her life". The battle never really ended though – she admitted using cocaine in 2017 to deal with septicaemia pain.
Relationships, Family, and Public Image
Danniella Westbrook's tumultuous personal life has affected her net worth just as much as her professional setbacks. The public spotlight on her relationships and family dynamics created extra financial pressures and opportunities.
Notable relationships and marriages
Her romantic journey started with East17 singer Brian Harvey (1991-1995). Their relationship put her in the celebrity party circuit. She later dated Robert Fernandez, who became the father of her son Kai. After their breakup, she married van driver Ben Morgan just eight weeks after meeting him.
The couple moved to Australia but divorced nine months later. Her longest relationship lasted 13 years with businessman Kevin Jenkins, whom she married in December 2001.
Despite Jenkins' wealth, their marriage ended in 2014 as she battled drug problems. She's been with her jailed fiancé David on-and-off for about six years.
Children and family life
She has two children: son Kai (born 1996) with Robert Fernandez and daughter Jodie (born 2001) with Kevin Jenkins. She admitted to using cocaine during her pregnancy with Kai and in the early months while expecting Jodie.
Her family relationships suffered – in 2019, she shared that her children "were trolled and bullied" because of her addiction. Kai showed his support on Loose Women by saying: "I'm super proud of you, you're only human".
Media coverage and public perception
British press has documented her struggles extensively, especially her cocaine addiction. Tabloids scrutinized her relentlessly, but she maintains she's "not a believer in living with regrets". This constant coverage brought her income through exclusive interviews while damaging her reputation.
Danniella Westbrook before and after: A visual transformation
Her physical transformation shows the most visible effects of her struggles. She admitted in 2018 that her face was "rotting away" from drug abuse and failed surgeries.
Her "Frankenstein-style" surgeries left her with screws instead of teeth that cut her tongue when she speaks. These physical changes became a symbol of her struggles and made her story a cautionary tale.
Conclusion
Danniella Westbrook's net worth sits at around £500,000 today. This number barely scratches the surface of her complex financial tale. Her life reads like a rollercoaster – from a bright-eyed child star to EastEnders fame, followed by battles that changed both her career path and bank balance forever.
Her story shows how quickly money can slip away. She pulled in big paychecks during her TV glory days. But Westbrook's own admitted poor money choices and a £250,000 cocaine habit ate away what could have grown into serious wealth. The costs didn't stop there – she needed several reconstructive surgeries to fix the physical damage from drug use.
Some reports have blown her wealth way out of proportion, with wild claims of £30 million. The truth looks much different. PR experts who work with celebrities say she probably lives paycheck to paycheck, even though she earned good money through her career.
In spite of that, there's more to Westbrook's story than just losing money. She keeps pushing forward with reality TV spots, social media deals, and acting gigs – showing she won't give up. Industry insiders think she could make up to £500,000 in two years with the right guidance.
Everyone knows about her physical and emotional battles, but Westbrook says she doesn't believe in dwelling on regrets. This viewpoint might seem odd given her past, but it explains why she stays in the spotlight despite years of public scrutiny.
Danniella Westbrook's money story mirrors her life's twists and turns – early wins, devastating addiction, and trying to bounce back. Her current worth might be nowhere near what it could have been, but her tale shows how fame can crumble and personal demons can get pricey.
FAQs
Q1. What is Danniella Westbrook's current net worth?
Danniella Westbrook's current net worth is estimated to be around £500,000, which is significantly lower than her earnings at the height of her career.
Q2. How did addiction impact Danniella Westbrook's career and finances?
Addiction severely affected Westbrook's career and finances. She spent approximately £250,000 on cocaine throughout her struggles, which led to job losses, health issues, and expensive reconstructive surgeries.
Q3. What was Danniella Westbrook's most famous role?
Westbrook's most famous role was playing Sam Mitchell in the popular British soap opera EastEnders, a character she portrayed intermittently over two decades.
Q4. Has Danniella Westbrook undergone any significant physical changes?
Yes, Westbrook has undergone significant physical changes due to drug abuse and subsequent reconstructive surgeries. Most notably, she required surgery to rebuild her nasal septum, which had been eroded by cocaine use.
Q5. What are Danniella Westbrook's current sources of income?
Westbrook's current income primarily comes from reality TV appearances, occasional acting work, and social media partnerships. She has the potential to earn around £120,000 annually from tabloid opportunities alone.
