Patsy Palmer has credited Eastenders with saving her life and is delighted she decided to return to the soap.

Patsy played Bianca in the soap for six years between 1993-1999 before leaving to pursue other roles. In 2005, she criticised the show’s storylines and said she wouldn’t return - but did return as a full time character early last year.

She told Fabulous magazine recently that the best thing about her return is being given the chance to play Bianca sober - after 24 years of alcohol and drug abuse: “It’s been amazing to get a second chance. To be Bianca for the first time completely sober has been incredible.”

She explained that she began dabbling with drink and drugs from the age of 10 and only finally beat her addictions when she settled down in her second marriage in 2004: “I have it in my genes. But I didn’t know how to deal with it back then.

“I wasn’t well educated and I was very naive about life. But I was really good at hiding how bad things had got.

“To be honest, working on Eastenders saved my life. I hate to think what would have happened to me if I hadn’t got that break as Bianca.”