Danniella Westbrook went on the 'Jeremy Kyle Show' for "drugs and money".
The former 'EastEnders' star appeared on the show earlier this year to discuss her drug addiction and she admitted her 22-year-old son Kai urged her not to take part because he knew she was only going on for the fee.
She said: "I was a very vulnerable person to put on a show like that. My son was on the phone saying, 'If you go on there, I'll never speak to you again, you're only going on for drugs and money' and he was right. But I didn't care.
"I wanted the money and my son could see the illness in me."
Danniella was offered, and accepted, three months rehab treatment during her appearance on the show and praised the host and his team for the way they looked after her and constantly monitored how she was getting on in the clinic.
She added on 'Jeremy Vine': "[They said] no one is gonna look after me, but they really have. I've spoken to Jeremy and the team all the time I've been in rehab and they've looked after me."
A follow-up episode featuring Danniella was due to air this week but was pulled from the schedule in the wake of the suicide of guest Steve Dymond, and the actress revealed the presenter broke down in tears when she walked out on stage, but insisted she wasn't receiving any special treatment because of their friendship.
She said: "It was brilliant, I think I'm the first person... I walked on stage and he cried and said he was proud.
"He's my friend of 20 years and he was hard on me and he was hard because he is my friend.
"I've watched other people who have been in rehab and done the same, I haven't been treated differently because I was on TV or I'm his friend, I've watched him treat people the same."
Tagged in Jeremy Kyle Danniella Westbrook