Danniella Westbrook has thanked Kerry Katona for being "a friend and a mentor" to her

Danniella - whose struggle with cocaine addiction cost her the septum in her nose - thanked Kerry for her support and although she is adamant that she is not using drugs again she admits her fellow celebrity's friendship gave her strength.

Daniella said: "We have had such parallel lives ... and I think it's a wonderful thing. I had 13 years clean and have relapsed along the way but to have a friend in Kerry and a mentor in Kerry. And if women could be positive and come together and stop judging and help each other that would be a great thing."

The 44-year-old actress also praised Kerry, 37, for being a loyal person who she could trust with her secrets.

She added: "When one's down the other's up and I know I can ring Kerry and what I say won't go anywhere else. It's between the two of us because we both know what it's like to be sold out and torn up and broken down."

The mother-of-five - who lives with bipolar disorder - has had to overcome her own substance abuse issues and admitted that one of things that kept her committed to her sobriety is the knowledge that Danniella was "looking up" to her, and her friend revealed she had been a support to Kerry when facing up to her own addictions.

In recent months, Danniella has been arrested over allegations of threatening behaviour, and had to undergo a major operation to insert a piece of her rib into in her face to battle osteoporosis.