FOREVER MISSED
Who was Nikki Grahame and what was her cause of death?
BIG Brother's Nikki Grahame left a hole in the hearts of friends, family and fans when she sadly died aged just 38.
The reality TV star was well loved by the nation, but passed away in April 2021.
Who was Nikki Grahame?
Nikki Grahame was born in Watford, England, on April 28, 1982.
She rose to fame after entering the Big Brother house in 2006 for series 7 where she came in 5th place.
As a youngster she developed anorexia and was admitted to psychiatric hospitals after a suicide bid aged 12.
After her first appearance in Big Brother, she was given her own reality show, Princess Nikki, which ran for six episodes.
Nikki returned to BB four times – Ultimate Big Brother in 2010, as a 'time warp' housemate in 2015, Canadian Big Brother in 2017 and she returned to the UK version in 2018, after it was announced it would be the last series to air on Channel 5.
During her life, Nikki released two autobiographies - Dying to Be Thin and Fragile - which both document her battle with anorexia nervosa.
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What was Nikki Grahame's cause of death?
On March 19, 2021, Nikki checked into a private hospital to treat her eating disorder after her desperate friends managed to raise more than £65,500 to start paying for life-saving care.
Her friends had said at the time that the specialist clinic was her "last hope".
Nikki’s mum Sue appeared on This Morning and said her daughter's health battle was sparked when gyms closed during lockdown as the star dreaded eating if she couldn't exercise.
She said: "With Covid, it sounds crazy but stuff like gyms closing impacted her.
"In order for her to eat she needs to know she can exercise, so when they closed it was quite a worry, the isolation as well.
"I asked her if she would come and stay with me but she said she needs to be in her home."
"She was (suffering terminal loneliness) she felt very cut off and spending too much time on her own with not enough to think about other than food.
"It all came to a grinding halt. Also for Nikki, she would muddle herself through the year knowing she's got friends abroad and she would visit them.
";She spent a lot of time last year cancelling holidays."
Nikki was always open about her anorexia battle since finding fame in Big Brother back in 2006, releasing the autobiography Dying To Be Thin in 2009.
She had been fighting the illness since she was a child, and was first admitted to a psychiatric hospital at the age of 12 following a suicide bid.
Helplines on eating disorders and body image
For help and support on eating disorders and body image, you can call Beat Eating Disorders.
Their adult helpline is 0808 201 1677. The youth helpline is on 0808 801 0711
At one point, Nikki had to be force-fed through a nasal tube after she starved herself.
Nikki died from anorexia at the age of 38 on April 9 2021.
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