Former Big Brother 3 housemate Jade Goody has died at her home in Upshire, Essex today following her battle with cervical cancer.
She passed away in her sleep at 3.55am this morning with her husband Jack Tweed and mother Jackiey Budden at her side, who said “my beautiful daughter is at peace” once she had gone. She was 27.
Budden confirmed the time of death earlier, saying: “Family and friends would like privacy, at last.”
Family friend Kevin Adams later added: “There have been no funeral arrangements made as yet, because they’re still in the planning process. Reports otherwise are untrue and they’re upsetting for Jackiey.”
Her publicist, Max Clifford, said: “She was a very, very brave girl, and she faced her death in the way she faced her whole life - full on, with a lot of courage.”
Phil Edgar-Jones, executive producer of Big Brother, told Sky News: “Obviously it’s not unexpected, but we’re all very very sad about this.
“Whatever you might think about Jade, she was a young mother. God knows what emotional pain she’s gone through in the last few weeks of her life, knowing that she’s going to leave her kids behind.
“She’s had an incredible journey over the last seven years. She kind of appalled and enthralled people in equal measure. She appalled a lot of people obviously, by her behaviour and her perceived lack of education, but I think equally that she touched a lot of people because she was very real.
“She represented an idea that you could have opportunities and that if you got opportunites you could make the most of them, no matter where you come from, and I think that’s inspired a lot of people over the years.”
Phil has wrote a full tribute to Jade, which you can read by clicking here.
Jade rose to fame on Big Brother 3 in 2002, finishing in fourth place. She returned to BB for the 2007 celebrity edition, during which 45,000 people complained after she allegedly bullied fellow housemate Shilpa Shetty.
Last year, she took part the Indian version, “Bigg Boss”, in an effort to change the local perception of her following her disastrous stint in CBB5. However, less than 48 hours in, she was told that she had cervical cancer.
After flying back to the UK, she began treatment for the disease, but it eventually spread to her liver, bowel and groin. Her condition became terminal earlier this year.
Her battle has been well documented in the media. She decided to marry Jack and get herself and her two sons, Bobby and Freddie, christened. Adamant that she was going to get much money as she could to improve her sons’ future, coverage rights for the two events were sold to OK! Magazine and Living TV.
The publicity surrounding Jade’s case has prompted increases in the amount of women going for smear tests, and calls for the screening age to be lowered from 25.
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