Westbrook to leave 'EastEnders'

[Perdita]

EastEnders actress Danniella Westbrook is to bow out of the soap at the end of the year, Digital Spy can confirm.

The 35-year-old, however, has not been 'axed' from the programme as a weekend tabloid newspaper suggests - she has simply fulfilled her original three-month contract which ties in with the close of her character's story.

In April, it was announced that Westbrook - who plays Sam Mitchell in the BBC soap - was to return to the show after a nine-year absence.

Last week, she made her screen comeback, much to the shock of her family. As she was still on the run from the police for perverting the course of justice, the Mitchells attempted to hide her in The Vic.

However, Bianca (Patsy Palmer) informed the police of Sam's presence on the Square, which promptly resulted in her arrest.

Sam's storyline reaches a dramatic climax at the end of the year, resulting in her departure from the soap.

A spokesperson for the show this morning told DS: "Danniella was bought back to EastEnders for a specific storyline and a set amount of time only. We are not going into the exact details as we don’t want to spoil the storyline for our viewers but Danniella's contract has not been cut short - in fact it has been extended slightly."

They added: "We have been thrilled with how Sam Mitchell's return has been received with our audience and hope that they continue to enjoy her storylines over the next few months."

A source added: "Sam's story is interweaved with lots of others - expect fireworks. In typical Mitchell style, though, she won't go quietly. The door will remain open for Sam - and Danniella - to return in the future."

Since her return, Westbrook has explained in various interviews that she had reprised the role "for a limited time". When asked how long she would be filming for, she told the soap's official site: "Only a short while, which was the deal. I've just come in to get the story done."

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/a178110/westbrook-to-leave-eastenders.html

[parkerman]

They added: "We have been thrilled with how Sam Mitchell's return has been received with our audience"

They obviously don't read this SoapBoard then! :lol:

[Bryan]

i hope its not the last we see of Sam :)

[sindydoll]

i hope the other sam comes back

[no1abbafan]

Best news I have heard this week - the storyline is rubbish and her acting is not much better :cheer: :cheer:

[*-Rooney-*]

i would like to see kim medcalf back in the future

[angel_eyes87]

i would like to see kim medcalf back in the future

Me too, she did a far better job with Sam in her short few years, than what a shambles Daniella has done, I mean the producers must have realised that when we watched, it was like watching two different characters in one character.

[tammyy2j]

great news it cant come soon enough :cheer:

[thestud2k7]

cant say i'm sorry to see westbrooke leave her acting is awful

[Abbie]

Why bother bringing her back in the firstplace

[Hannelene]

But she has only been back for 5minutes. ?
Makes no sense to have all that publicity surrounding her character then she leaves within months. What were the writers thinking?
Daniella sure knows how to make quick money!

[sindydoll]

and good point Abbie

[Perdita]

She was brought back to finish off a storyline which will take another 3 months :rolleyes:

[Hannelene]

When will they stop bringing back various Mitchell relatives?

[lizann]

Why bother bringing her back in the firstplace

publicity - it wasnt for her acting skills :lol:

[Chloe O'brien]

When will they stop bringing back various Mitchell relatives?

when they can get Grunt back :rotfl:

Sorry but what a bag of sh1te she's not been axed my ass of course she's been axed because her acting was mince. If they were only planning to bring her back for three months why wasn't that revealed in the first place. Again EE have made a balls up and are too chicken sh1t to admit it. Which barrel are they going to scrape next to bring back a past their cell by date character to make up a story scuffy Keith Miller.

[Amy70]

gee,she only just came back,Can't wait to see her go though she can't act at all,would rather have the other sam.

[Chris_2k11]

Good riddance to Sam and her "dodgy roots" :D

[Dutchgirl]

So what storyline do you all reckon. I think they reveal her as Archies third daughter.

[Hannelene]

Anything is possible as Archie seems to have kids crawling out of the woodwork

[Kim]

So what storyline do you all reckon. I think they reveal her as Archies third daughter.

Same here. As Archie's only been brought back for one storyline too it seems pretty likely.

[Chris_2k11]

I hope its not that, so predictable and boring

[sindydoll]

sharon marshal just said that she is not leaving she only came back to do this storyline you cant expect her to kill someone then bury them and then get away with it(so sounds like she is going to prison) ee are hoping she will return for the next sam storyline

[Perdita]

I think the solicitor mentioned about 4 - 5 years prison for Sam, to make it reasonably realistic, they need to jail her for at least 2 years, plenty of time to look for a better actress than Danniella if they really want to bring her character back again.

[sindydoll]

I think the solicitor mentioned about 4 - 5 years prison for Sam, to make it reasonably realistic, they need to jail her for at least 2 years, plenty of time to look for a better actress than Danniella if they really want to bring her character back again.well acording to sharon marshall they want this sam to come back...she will be out of prison next year this is eastenders

[Siobhan]

I think the solicitor mentioned about 4 - 5 years prison for Sam, to make it reasonably realistic, they need to jail her for at least 2 years, plenty of time to look for a better actress than Danniella if they really want to bring her character back again.well acording to sharon marshall they want this sam to come back...she will be out of prison next year this is eastenders

Probably as Bianca and Ricky are getting married for a second time... and she turns up to mess it all up

[Perdita]

Hopefully they can get Kim Metcalf back as Sam though. Or Danniella invests in acting lessons.

[Chris_2k11]

I actually don't think Kim was even asked back was she?

[Perdita]

I have not seen her name mentioned in connection with a return to EE but I don't know whether she is busy with other projects at the moment.

[Chris_2k11]

It seems to me it was Daniella that they wanted back from the start..

[Perdita]

I think you are right, Patsy Palmer certainly wanted Danniella back.

[DaVeyWaVey]

Apparently Kim Medcalf is in America anyway.. last I heard, she was auditioning for the American version of "Bad Girls" playing our version of Shell Dockley.

[matt1378]

Apparently Kim Medcalf is in America anyway.. last I heard, she was auditioning for the American version of "Bad Girls" playing our version of Shell Dockley.

Did they even ask Kim though? It really should of been her returning as Sam, at least she could act, Daniella is terrible the scenes the other night with her crying was the worst acting I've seen, I haven't heard anything good said about her return so far.

[sindydoll]

i think she is ok

[walsh2509]

The 35-year-old, however, :cartman: you got to be kidding !

[sindydoll]

she looks a bit like pamela anderson

[Hannelene]

Pamela looks better

[matt1378]

Big storyline at Christmas involving Sam

[Perdita]

On another forum they are saying that there is meant to be a fire at the Vic at Christmas and on a webcam I have seen a bodybag being carried out. Perhaps Archie and Sam die together?

[LostVoodoo]

On another forum they are saying that there is meant to be a fire at the Vic at Christmas and on a webcam I have seen a bodybag being carried out. Perhaps Archie and Sam die together?

hasn't 'fire at the Vic' been the rumoured Christmas storyline for about five years now? :rotfl:

[Perdita]

But this time there have been pictures on the webcam

[tammyy2j]

I dont think Sam dies but Archie does - i think Sam's exit leaves it open for her to return

[Chris_2k11]

I dont think Sam dies but Archie does - i think Sam's exit leaves it open for her to returnyes then hopefully the other one can come back. you know, the one who can actually act :cheer:

[sindydoll]

she isnt that bad anymore

[Chris_2k11]

Nothing's changed, shes still rubbish imo

[senorita]

She just cant act, cant wait for her to leave.

[Perdita]

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/a180593/danniella-westbrook-sam-mitchell-eastenders.html


EastEnders returnee Danniella Westbrook reprised her role as original Mitchell sister Sam on September 4 when Ricky Butcher (Sid Owen) swanned back into The Vic with her in tow, much to the shock of her brother Phil (Steve McFadden) and mother Peggy (Barbara Windsor). Since her comeback, Sam's been the thorn in Bianca's (Patsy Palmer) side as Sam and Ricky quickly rekindled their romance. However, within the first two weeks of her screen reappearance, it was confirmed that Danniella is to leave the BBC soap at the end of the year when her planned story arc reaches its climax. We recently caught up with Danniella to chat about returning to EastEnders, Sam and Jack and what's to come beyond her latest stint with the show.

How pleased have you been with the return?
"To be honest, I've been over the moon with it. Although it's been a lot of work, it's been really, really good for me. Every time Sam's come back before, she hasn't had much to do, so it's been great that they've really thrown her in there. It's been fantastic."

Story-wise, what were your initial thoughts? Were you happy that it was just for three months?
"I didn't ever expect to come back, so it was a really nice surprise to be asked. I was really happy with just the three months to fulfil the storyline and get some closure on it. Then maybe who knows what'll happen next year."

To set the record straight, was your comeback contract only ever three months?
"Yeah, it was initially three months but then we've just extended for another month so we could see the storyline through properly. We couldn't get it all in the first three and I was happy to carry on."

Have you watched any of your comeback scenes?
"No, because when they aired, I was on holiday and since I've been back, I'm straight back into work and have been working quite late a lot of the time. I don't watch myself back on television at all, though!"

What's it been like working back with Sid and Patsy?
"It's been great. It's just been really easy with Sid because we worked together from such a young age, I know him so well and how he works. I love him to bits. It's the same with Patsy, too."

Was it difficult to start working at EastEnders again?
"I was a bit nervous when I first came back because I hadn't done anything for ten years, so it was difficult to come back and work. Steve's really looked after me and Barbara's been really supportive. Because we work so quickly and fast here, you don't really have much time for nerves – you just have to get on with it. I just thought, 'it's now or never', so I went for it and decided I'd see how it went."

Jack and Sam – what's going on between them?
"Sam ends up getting a job at R&R but Peggy and Phil aren't happy at all. She doesn't have any money, so she's happy to have a job. Sam then moves into Pat's, which doesn't go down well with Bianca. Tiffany putting toothpaste in Sam's hairbrush is the final straw and Sam decides that she and Ricky should get a place together. [But] when Sam realises how much the kids mean to Ricky, she decides that she should move back into The Vic.

"The only way she can do that, though, is by giving Jack the advance on her wages back and quitting her job that she's not even started. When she goes around there, they end up kissing and things turn steamy."

Presumably it's lust?
"I think she quite fancies him and it is quite lustful, but it'll never go anywhere. Jack loves Ronnie."

Do you think Sam's grown up a lot in the years that she's not been there?
"She has, but everyone expects her to be a certain way so she plays on that hugely and carries on in the same old way she used to be. But when push comes to shove, she can be a totally different person."

Why has Sam struck up a friendship with Janine? Surely Sam knows she's bad news?
"I don't know! Why would she?! I think because Sam knew her as a little girl growing up, she hasn't seen what she's done over the years and how conniving she can be. Also, Sam doesn't have that many people that like her, so when she finds someone that does, she'll cling to them! Sam soon starts to realise that all's not what it seems with her, though."

There are some touching scenes with Liam coming up, too.
"Yeah, the scene we have together is quite sweet, especially because Sam doesn't usually do children. It's so unlike her, which is why it was so good to play. James [Forde] is such a great kid. He's the same age as my little boy and he's a really nice, centered child. He's very professional, knows his lines and we have a great time on set together."

Are you a little upset that you'll not be around for the 25th anniversary?
"I'd have liked to have been around for it, but with the story, it just wouldn't be possible. What they have planned for it is fantastic, so I'll definitely be watching!"

Would you have enjoyed doing the live episode?
"I think it'd be scary as hell! It's different if you're presenting something live but following a story live, you'd have to be on the button. There's such a great team here, though. Everyone works so hard together and we have such a brilliant time. I can imagine that there'd be a buzz on the night."

What do you hope to do beyond EastEnders? Do you have any other projects lined up?
"I have another job starting the week I leave EastEnders which takes me through to March. I can't say what it is, but it's something completely different. Then I have some other jobs that are running alongside of each other. Then from March onwards, I don't know!"

What's been your favourite scene or scenes to film since returning?
"It has to be the massive fights with Bianca. They were really good fun."

Does Sam love Ricky? Or is she just looking for stability?
"I think she does love Ricky and because of their history, it makes sense. But in the long run, Ricky's not enough for her because he's just so normal. She wants someone that's a bit rough around the edges. Sam wants everything that's not right for her. Ricky will do until something better comes along!"

Should Ricky be with Sam or Bianca?
"Definitely Bianca over Sam. It'd be better for them, but I think the spark's still there between Ricky and Sam."

When do you finish filming?
"I finish now at the end of October."

Will it be sad to leave again?
"I'll be sad to leave because I've really enjoyed my time here again. I'll miss it when it's not here everyday, but with the way the story goes, it makes sense for Sam to leave. If she does come back next year, at least Sam will have done what she meant to do. Coming back for this stint has proved to me just how much I do enjoy it here."

Can you give us any clues as to how you leave?
"You know I can't tell you anything!"

[sindydoll]

Nothing's changed, shes still rubbish imo
ive just got used to her and she even looks better now they have toned her make up