EastEnders’ Danniella Westbrook once confronted new Sam Mitchell actress Kim Medcalf leaving her ‘taken aback

FORMER soap star Danniella Westbrook threatened to sue the BBC after her EastEnders character was reprised without her.

Despite this, the actress once praised her replacement Kim Medcalf who has returned to the BBC One soap.

Danniella, 48, lashed out earlier in 2022 and threatened legal action against the broadcaster following the casting announcement.

But in a resurfaced clip from last year, Danniella revealed how she approached Kim many years ago about taking over the Sam role.

Kim had already been called to replace her from 2002 to 2005 as the only daughter of Peggy and Eric Mitchell.

Danniella explained: "I had never seen Kim before, so I went up to her on the red carpet and I said: 'Kim, I just wanted to say well done on the part."

"I know you took a lot of backlash and everything for stepping in, but you did a fantastic job. You're a very talented actress and thank you for keeping Sam alive, keeping her going'.

"She was a little bit taken aback and said: 'Thank you so much'."

After it was announced Kim would be reprising her Albert Square role, Danniella took to Twitter to praise her rival but threatened legal action against the BBC.

Defending her right to play the lap-dancer, the actress wrote on Twitter that her "legal team would be in touch" with the BBC over the row.

"Wishing Kim the best of luck at EastEnders, yet again this poor woman has to recreate a Samantha Mitchell as close to my last two recent comebacks on the Square," Danniella penned.

"Go smash it darling. Oh but not to @bbceastenders, my legal team will be in touch," she continued, before revealing her latest career venture.

"Bet you all can't wait for my new book now can you," Danniella said as she confirmed that she was busy writing her autobiography on Saturday night.

"Oh it's going go way back to the things I've never told."

The new book will be the third penned by Danniella - who previously wrote The Other Side Of Nowhere and Faith, Hope and Clarity.

Danniella previously opened up about being replaced on the soap as she suggested she "had not been contacted" about reprising her role.

As mentioned above, Kim played Sam for three years, from 2002 and until 2005.

Danniella reprised the role in 2016, as the Mitchells were getting ready to give Peggy a final goodbye at her funeral.

Sam returned to Albert Square alongside her son Ricky but left without him after dropping him off at his father's, Jack Branning.

Kim was catapulted into the spotlight again during last night's episode of the long-running drama, paying her brother Phil a visit in prison.

But spoilers have confirmed that her return will not make everyone happy.

What's in store for the black sheep of the Mitchell family?

EastEnders airs from Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One.