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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Entertainment
Rachel Pugh & Georgia Trevitt

Danniella Westbrook left with gaping hole in her head as 'botched' Turkey surgery goes wrong

Former EastEnders star Danniella Westbrook says she has been left with a gaping one-inch hole in her head following a 'botched' surgical procedure in Turkey. The actress has now vowed she will 'never go abroad for surgery again' following the horrifying ordeal.

Over the years, Danniella's changing face has been cause for concern for many of her fans. The 49-year-old, who rose to fame for her role as Sam Mitchell in EastEnders, publicly battled with her addiction to cocaine.

The mum-of-two's addiction became so severe, her septum and columella began to erode. Because of this, Danniella has been dedicated to getting her nose reconstructed - which has required several bouts of surgery.

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But her latest surgery endeavors have left the actress in severe pain, and her self-confidence has been dashed. Pictures acquired by our sister site OK! Online show the actress wrapped in bandages following the procedure.

She had a surgical thread lift - a procedure where temporary stitches are used to produce a lift in the skin - and fat transfer in a bid to fix a past botched surgery. But Danniella claims her nose is still the same - despite doctors putting '200 threads into it' - and says she's been left with 'big lumps of fluid over her belly'.

“I don’t know how it’s gone so wrong," she said. "I think it was a bit of miscommunication. I just wish I had never gone to Turkey to have it done. I will never have surgery abroad ever again."

Danniella Westbrook rose to fame as Sam Mitchell in EastEnders (BBC)

After landing in Portugal following her operation, Danniella was rushed to hospital when her stitches burst and she 'lost sight in one eye'. She explained to OK! magazine: “It wasn’t until I was washing my hair that I realised the stitches had come undone and I had an open wound."

“I literally have a hole on the side of my head. It’s about an inch long. I could actually put my finger in the hole, which was awful." Claiming she looked like a Shar Pei because her face was so swollen, Danniella also said she wasn't able to take any painkillers due to her past cocaine addiction.

Opening up about the 'unimaginable pain' of the whole ordeal, the star revealed she felt so scared she would die on the operating table, she wrote a will. Admitting she feels like "curling up and dying", the actress said she now has 'bits of thread sticking out of the top of her head' and a bald patch after her head was shaved during surgery.

Danniella Westbrook appeared on the Jeremy Kyle Show to discuss the price of fame (ITV)

Claiming she 'hates what she sees', the mum-of-two admits she's been put off by going under the knife again, but says there is 'one last operation she needs to have'. The actress now hopes to have the bridge of her nose reconstructed in the Liverpool, saying as soon as she's healed she'll 'see what can be done'.

Danniella also has plans to get hitched to her boyfriend, revealing: “My fella David is back from jail soon, so I can’t wait to see him and I can’t wait to finally get married this year.

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