Danniella Westbrook has surprised her fans by chancing her name as she embraces the "new version" of herself.
The 48-year-old actress has changed her name on her Instagram profile to Dolly Rawlings.
The former EastEnders star has been hinting at her new journey in cryptic posts on social media, and she recently posted a selfie revealing she had been “working on myself” over the last few weeks.
“Ok so this is what a few weeks of solitude and isolation working on yourself at home looks like . Today I woke up ready and willing to do life differently,” Danniella wrote, as she included the hashtag “#beyourself”.
She also uploaded a photo of herself in the back of a car, as she hinted at new beginnings.
“Starting to embrace the new version of me,” the mum-of-two wrote.
Danniella has also shared a series of inspirational videos on her Instagram Stories,
“I mean this in the most disrespectful way possible, they do not compare to me. And neither will they ever compare to me. Because baby that’s a downgrade and you know it,” the caption on the clip read.
Another clip Danniella posted was one suggesting ways to be free of negative thinking, urging people to “stay positive, no matter what is happening around you”.
The actress has recently been involved in a bitter public spat with EastEnders bosses, as it was revealed they were bringing back her old character Sam Mitchell to the BBC soap.
However, they’ve opted to cast Kim Medcalf - who played Sam from 2002 to 2005 - in the role instead, leaving Danniella furious.
The actress first played the daughter of Queen Vic landlady Peggy Mitchell, played by the late Barbara Windsor, back in 1990, and left in 1993.
She was asked back in 1995, but due to her drug problems, she was written out just one year later.
Kim was cast in 2002 as Sam when producers decided to bring the wayward little sister of Phil and Grant Mitchell back to Albert Square, but when she left in 2005, they asked Danniella to reprise her role as Sam in 2009, leaving again in 2010.
She then came back for four episodes in 2016.
Danniella told The Sun on Sunday she was furious at being replaced without EastEnders bosses speaking to her first.
“I’ve been known as Sam Mitchell for 32 years. But nobody at EastEnders contacted me to let me know they had recast Kim in the role,” she fired.
“There wasn’t even an email to my agent. I was shocked because they do have a responsibility to tell me and someone should have,” Danniella fumed.
