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goodbye to the original it girl

Tara Palmer-Tomkinson dead at 45 at home in London flat three months after revealing brain tumour battle

FORMER IT girl Tara Palmer-Tomkinson has died aged 45.

The telly personality has been battling a brain tumour since last January, and passed away at her London home earlier today.

 Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, pictured with a young Duchess of Cambridge in 2007, has been found dead at her home today
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Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, pictured with a young Duchess of Cambridge in 2007, has been found dead at her home todayCredit: Rex Features
 TPT with typically eye-grabbing hat at Ascot race course in 2002
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TPT with typically eye-grabbing hat at Ascot race course in 2002Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
 Tara shares a tender moment with Prince Charles at a breast cancer awareness event at Clarence House in 2003
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Tara shares a tender moment with Prince Charles at a breast cancer awareness event at Clarence House in 2003Credit: PA

Tara, who was a close family friend of Prince Charles' and a trained classical pianist, revealed she was fighting the illness after going for a set of blood tests after feeling run down the previous summer.

Doctors discovered a growth in her pituitary gland which was non-malignant but was affecting the production of hormone prolactin.

A police spokesman said: “Police were called by London Ambulance Service at approximately 13:40hrs on Wednesday, 8 February to an address in Bramham Gardens, SW5.

 Tara arrives at Wills and Kate's wedding at Westminster Abbey wearing striking blue ensemble alongside her sister Santa Sebag-Montefiore
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Tara arrives at Wills and Kate's wedding at Westminster Abbey wearing striking blue ensemble alongside her sister Santa Sebag-MontefioreCredit: Reuters
 Looking effortlessly glamorous at an event held for posh magazine Tatler in 2009
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Looking effortlessly glamorous at an event held for posh magazine Tatler in 2009Credit: Rex Features
 Emergency services at the flat where Tara's body was discovered in Earls Court, West London
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Emergency services at the flat where Tara's body was discovered in Earls Court, West LondonCredit: Ray Collins
 A police officer at Tara's London home... her death is not being treated as suspicious
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A police officer at Tara's London home... her death is not being treated as suspiciousCredit: Ray Collins
 The last picture of Tara was taken outside her home on January 25 this year
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The last picture of Tara was taken outside her home on January 25 this yearCredit: Goff Photos

“A woman, aged in her 40s, was pronounced dead at the scene. Next of kin have been informed.

“The death is being treated as unexplained. At this early stage, police are not treating the death as suspicious."

Following the news of her death, The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall have said they are "deeply saddened and our thoughts are so much with the family."

The star revealed in November: "I went to the doctors to talk about my latest blood test results when I got back from skiing in January.

"I said, 'What does this mean? Can you translate it?' And the doctor said, 'As I suspected, you have a brain tumour.'"

 The party-loving IT girl in her heyday. She had revealed she knew she would die from her brain tumour
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The party-loving IT girl in her heyday. She had revealed she knew she would die from her brain tumourCredit: PA
 The celebrity attends a charity event last year
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The celebrity attends a charity event last yearCredit: Rex Features
 The popular IT came second to Tony Blackburn on the first-ever series of I'm A Celebrity... in 2002
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The popular IT came second to Tony Blackburn on the first-ever series of I'm A Celebrity... in 2002Credit: Rex Features

“Enquiries into the circumstances are ongoing. The Coroner has been informed.”

Doctors then often use an MRI scan to detect the size and position of the tumour, before treating it with drugs to shrink it.

Tara's blood tests also revealed that she was suffering from a rare auto-immune condition, related to her anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA-related), in which abnormal antibodies attack the body’s cells and tissues.

 Tara channels her inner Bond girl as she arrives at her birthday party at Tramps nightclub wearing a white bikini in 1998
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Tara channels her inner Bond girl as she arrives at her birthday party at Tramps nightclub wearing a white bikini in 1998Credit: Rex Features
 Tara made headlines for her party-going lifestyle
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Tara made headlines for her party-going lifestyleCredit: Rex Features
 She last posted a picture of herself on her Twitter account back in November
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She last posted a picture of herself on her Twitter account back in November
 Bringing her unique brand of charm to the Loose Women panel in 2012
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Bringing her unique brand of charm to the Loose Women panel in 2012Credit: Rex Features

Symptoms include tiredness, weight loss, fever, joint pain, acute anaemia and headaches. Untreated, the condition is fatal.

And even with treatment, it commonly attacks the upper respiratory tract (sinuses, nose, ears and trachea), the lungs and the kidneys.

Tara made headlines during her career for her party-going lifestyle.

She continued: "I got terribly frightened. I started thinking, 'I'm going to die, I'm going to die. I've only got a couple of weeks to live.' Stuff like that."

"‘I’ve gone completely the other way. I’m a very quiet person now, and I like being that person. I have a better perspective on life."

The star was born in Hampshire to Olympic skier Charles Palmer-Tomkinson and wife Patricia in 1971.

When she was a school girl, she dreamed of being a pianist or to ride in the Grand National, but she quickly fell down other paths.

The brunette model became a household name after crossing the line from aristocratic society into celebrity culture.

After leaving school, the kooky posh girl briefly worked in the City of London for Rothschilds bank before she grew in fame through her weekly columns.

In the 1990s, Tara held regular columns in publications such as The Sunday Times, The Spectator, The Mail on Sunday, GQ and Tatler, which featured her weekly activities.

 Tara was known for mingling with the rich and famous
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Tara was known for mingling with the rich and famousCredit: Rex Features
 Tara was last pictured in public at the Supporting Wounded Veterans and Skiing With Heroes event
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Tara was last pictured in public at the Supporting Wounded Veterans and Skiing With Heroes eventCredit: Getty Images
 An ambulance was seen outside her home on Wednesday
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An ambulance was seen outside her home on Wednesday

She became of the first celebrities to develop their own ‘brand’, with her newspaper exposure, book deals and then TV appearances.

It later was revealed that ghost writer Wendy Holden was responsible for her Sunday Times column after weekly phone-ins with the star.

Becoming one of the most familiar socialite faces, Tara was regularly pictured at parties and night clubs.

 Currently police are not treating the death as suspicious
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Currently police are not treating the death as suspiciousCredit: Rex Features
 Tara was well known for mixing with celebs and had a close relationship with the Royal family
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Tara was well known for mixing with celebs and had a close relationship with the Royal familyCredit: Rex Features

As the news of her death was announced this afternoon, fellow celebs began paying tribute to the TV star.

Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan tweeted: "RIP Tara Palmer Tomkinson, 45. A fun feisty woman who battled many demons. Very sad news."

London socialite Henry Conway – who trained with TPT during series 1 of Channel 4’s The Jump – also expressed sadness at the news of the star’s death.

Fellow I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! co-star Christine Hamilton also expressed sadness, saying Tara was “vivacious” and “talented”.

Comedienne Rhona Cameron – who also featured on I’m A Celeb series 1 – c

 Smiling on a ski-lift with Prince Charlies and Prince Harry at Klosters in 1997
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Smiling on a ski-lift with Prince Charlies and Prince Harry at Klosters in 1997Credit: Rex Features
 Other celebs have mourned her death saying she was 'fun' and 'fiesty'
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Other celebs have mourned her death saying she was 'fun' and 'fiesty'Credit: Getty Images
 Piers Morgan tweeted that her passing was 'very sad news'
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Piers Morgan tweeted that her passing was 'very sad news'Credit: Rex Features

The 45-year-old socialite – who was found dead at her London home earlier today – had a wide and varied love life with pop stars and Lords.

The star’s most notable relationship was with Blue singer Duncan James.

The pair dated between 2008 and 2009 but remained firm friends for years after their time together.

Tara’s relationship history also included a year-long relationship with Duran Duran star Nick Rhodes in 1999, just after she dated then popstar and EastEnders hunk Sid Owen.

The pair were high profile together in 1997 before splitting shortly after.

Tara was also known to have dated Fiat boss Eduardo Teodorani-Fabbri in 2009, and businessman Anton Bilton in 2000 to 2001.

One of her more high profile dalliances was with Lord Robert Hanson.

WHAT IS A PITUITARY TUMOUR?

Around eight in every 100 brain tumours are in the pituitary gland, which lies behind the eye.
The pea-sized gland is responsible for releasing hormones into the blood stream.
The majority of these tumours develop from the gland tissues and are nearly always benign, or non-cancerous.
The type of pituitary tumour Tara was battling is known as a prolactinoma, a slow-growing benign tumour.
The tumour causes decreased levels of the sex hormones, oestrogen in women and testosterone in men.
Though it is rarely life-threatening prolactinoma can impair vision, cause infertility among other serious side effects.
Treatment typically involves drugs to reduce the size of the growth.
In some cases surgery can be an option.


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