Nikki Grahame rose to fame after competing in the seventh series of reality show Big Brother in 2006. Finishing in fifth place, the London native quickly became a household name and even won a National Television Award for her appearance on the Channel 4 show.
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Nikki's tragic passing in April last year sent shockwaves through the nation and left her friends and family heartbroken. Read on to find out more about Nikki and her sad death.
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Who was Nikki Grahame?
Nikki Grahame was born in Northwood, London on 28 April, 1982. She was just 24 years old when she entered the Big Brother house and quickly became one of the nation's best-loved reality stars.
Following her appearance on the Channel 4 programme, she was given her own reality show, Princess Nikki, which ran for six episodes. She returned to Big Brother several times over the years, appearing as a panellist as well as a contestant in 2010's Ultimate Big Brother.
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She also released two autobiographies, Fragile, and Dying to Be Thin, both of which addressed her battle with anorexia.
© Photo: Getty ImagesNikki rose to fame after appearing on Big Brother in 2006
What was the cause of Nikki Grahame's death?
Nikki developed an eating disorder as a young girl and suffered from anorexia nervosa throughout her life, checking into several health institutions over the years for her condition.
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."
© Photo: RexNikki won an NTA for her appearance on Big Brother
In March last year, Nikki's family announced that she had relapsed again and was feeling "weak" and "struggling on a day to day basis". The reality star checked into a private hospital a month later, where she remained until she was discharged on 8 April 2021. The next day she was found dead in her flat, having died from anorexia nervosa at the age of 38.
Channel 4's new documentary, Nikki Grahame: Who Is She?, airs on Thursday 7 April at 9pm.
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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