Westbrook to leave 'EastEnders'

'EastEnders' star Danniella Westbrook is to leave the show by the end of the year, it emerged today.

A spokeswoman for the show denied a newspaper report, though, that she had been "ditched", saying she had been brought back for a third time for a specific storyline and a set amount of time only.

Her character, Sam Mitchell, returned to the BBC soap after nine years on September 4.

She flew in from Brazil, where she fled after being implicated in the murder of Dirty Den, and has since been arrested.

The spokeswoman for the show said today: "Danniella was brought 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."

She 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."