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Big Brother star Nikki Grahame dies aged 38 following battle with anorexia

Tributes have poured in for the TV star

nikki grahame big brother
Matthew Moore
Online News Writer & Diversity and Inclusion Lead
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Former Big Brother star Nikki Grahame has passed away at the age of just 38 following a battle with anorexia.

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The reality TV star had battled the eating disorder since childhood and last month checked into a private hospital.

Her family said at the time that she "constantly felt weak and is struggling on a day to day basis."

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A GoFundMe page was set up to help pay for the star's care, and it had managed to raise over £65,000.

Her passing was confirmed in a statement shared on the page on Saturday.

The statement read: "It is with great sadness, we have to let you know that our dear friend Nikki passed away in the early hours of Friday 9th April.

"It breaks our hearts to know that someone who is so precious was taken from us at such a young age. Nikki not only touched the lives of millions of people, but also her friends and family who will miss her immensely."

nikki grahame on tv© Photo: Rex

Nikki rose to fame on Big Brother

The statement thanked fans for their support and the money they raised, and requested privacy for friends and family as they "process[ed] the sad news."

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Appearing on This Morning last week, Nikki's mother, Sue, explained that she relapsed after gyms had closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

She said that Nikki feared eating if she was unable to exercise. "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," Sue told the programme.

Nikki had written about her battles with the eating disorder in two books, Dying to be Thin and Fragile, which were released in 2009 and 2012 respectively.

For help and support on eating disorders, you can get in touch with Beat Eating Disorders on 0808 201 1677, or 0808 801 0711 for young people.

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