Former Eastenders star Danniella Westbrook is to return to acting in a new series of ITV's soap opera Crossroads.

The actress, who was reportedly dropped from the BBC soap because of a cocaine addiction, will appear as a guest at the fictional hotel in the opening episode of the new series.

Westbrook was a star in EastEnders

She will play a money-grabbing, blonde bombshell in the soap which is being given a glossy revamp to boost ratings.

"We are thrilled to have her," a spokeswoman for the show said.

Westbrook hit the headlines when the septum in her nose was eroded due to prolonged drug abuse.

She now says she has beaten her addiction and is trying to re-launch her career.

Her character in EastEnders, Sam Mitchell, has returned to the soap but is now played by a different actress, Kim Medcalf.

Mother-of-two Westbrook lives in Kent with her second husband, businessman Kevin Jenkins.

Earlier this year, Westbrook said she had tried to kill herself with an overdose because she "despised" herself.

A number of old cast members have been dropped from Crossroads to make way for 10 new characters, including actress Anne Charleston, who played Madge Bishop in the Australian soap, Neighbours.