Danniella Westbrook said she 'wouldn't be alive' if it wasn't for the Jeremy Kyle Show.
Earlier today, an ITV boss confirmed The Jeremy Kyle Show had been axed, following the death of a guest .
Steve Dymond was found dead at an address in Grafton St, Portsmouth, on May 9 just days after filming with the show in Manchester .
In a statement released today, CEO Carolyn McCall said it was "the right time for the show to end".
However, speaking on Channel 5's The Jeremy Vine Show, Danniella Westbrook claims that Jeremy Kyle 'opened a door' for her to get the help she needed.
She said: "For somebody like me who went onto the show that was very ill, riddled with drug addiction and full of mental health problems I was a very vulnerable person to be put on a show like that.
Jeremy Kyle cancelled as ITV confirm show has been permanently axed following death of guest
"In the morning before I was going on, my son was on the phone saying 'if you go on there I'm never going to speak to you again'...
"But I didn't care, I just wanted to go on there at the time for the fee, I wanted the money and my son could see the illness in me."
Danniella says that her son thought she was going to be dropped after the show aired, but the former EastEnders actress claims that they have 'really looked after her'.
"This [Jeremy] was my friend of 20 years and he was hard on me and he was hard on me, but someone needed to be.
"He's got a lot of love to give Jeremy and he does a lot of good for people."
She continued: "If it wasn't for Jeremy Kyle I probably wouldn't be alive myself.
"As much as it is very sad that this guy has taken his life... but a lot of broken people watch it and a lot of broken people have been fixed by Jeremy Kyle."
