Dannii Minogue says she became hooked on botox after sister Kylie was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005.

The X Factor judge – who sported a scarily rigid face until fairly recently – claims she turned to the wrinkle-banishing injections to cope with depression sparked by her sister's illness.

"My sister was sick, then my best friend died soon after - I felt I'd been hit by a wave," she tells Britain's Sun newspaper.

"I couldn't deal with the stress. I couldn't deal with having to look at my face.

"It was a personal thing of having to get through a lot of sadness.

"At first, it was something fun I tried, then it became a necessity."

A fresh-faced Dannii on X Factor duties last month (left) and failing to force an expression during the botox years (right)

Dannii says meeting her Australian boyfriend, model Kris Smith, prompted her to ditch her botox death mask.

She says: "I don't need Botox now and don't want it. Life is just so different now."

We think expressions suit Dannii, don't you?