Nikki Grahame was one of the most well-known and beloved names to come out of the Big Brother reality TV machine after she first appeared on the show in 2006.
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But sadly last year, the television personality tragically passed away from anorexia nervosa, after suffering from the condition for most of her life.
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Channel 4's documentary, Nikki Graham: Who Is She?, provided a closer look into the star's rise to fame as well as the difficulties she faced with her health. The show proved a difficult watch for viewers at home who were left "sobbing" while watching the powerful programme.
One person tweeted: "Just watched the #nikkigrahame documentary and I am sobbing, imagine fighting that constant battle with your brain and body every day she truly was a beautiful soul. #nikkigrahame #bigbrother."
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© Photo: Getty ImagesNikki Grahame was hugely popular after her time on Big Brother
A second was equally affected, writing: "Just utterly heartbreaking what a beautiful but tortured soul RIP Nikki #WhoIsShe #Nikkigrahame."
Others were also commenting about reality television programmes' role in dealing with mental health. "Watching #nikkigrahame on @Channel4 and you wonder how someone so fragile who'd spent 11 years in hospital could ever have been allowed on a reality TV show. Utterly irresponsible," said a third fan.
Another wrote: "The documentary on #NikkiGrahame raised so many issues. A famous person couldn't get proper help for an #eatingdisorder in the NHS. And while she said Big Brother was best thing ever, shocking how it exploited people with mental health issues for entertainment for so many years."
© Photo: Getty ImagesNikki sadly died in 2021
Nikki's mother, Susan Grahame, appeared on Loose Women on Thursday to speak about her daughter's illness. Recounting the first time she realised that Nikki was suffering from an eating disorder, Susan said: "I first noticed when Nikki was about seven and a half. First of all, it was the expression on her face.
"She just became terribly sad and I couldn't understand what was going on and then she just [became] smaller and the school was saying that she was struggling in class because she couldn't concentrate on what was happening. That was when the battle began."
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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