Nikki Grahame:
The lasting legacy that she is leaving behind
Family, close friends and fellow celebrities have been in mourning since it was confirmed earlier this month that Big Brother star and reality TV sweetheart, Nikki Grahame, had lost her fight to anorexia, aged just 38.
Rylan Clark-Neal, Imogen Thomas, Katie Price, Nicola McClean and Davina McCall paid tributes to the much-loved star, who’d been discharged from a facility in Devon where she was receiving emergency treatment just 24 hours before her death.
“She really was the funniest, most bubbly, sweetest girl,” Big Brother host Davina wrote on her Instagram page, while Rylan praised Nikki as a “Big Brother icon”.
Nikki had suffered with anorexia since she was just eight years old, which her mum Sue has since revealed had been made worse by the “hellish” lockdown – saying her daughter suffered from “terminal loneliness” despite being adored by millions of fans. Sue also shared how Nikki’s final wish ahead of having treatment was to get “my life back” and that her daughter had been “overwhelmed” by the love and support she had received.
Beat, the eating disorder charity, have paid tribute to the late star. Tom Quinn, Beat’s Director of External Affairs, told Closer, “We were very saddened to hear of Nikki’s death, and our thoughts are with her family and friends. Unfortunately, Nikki was not alone in the impact of lockdown on her eating disorder: over the last year we have seen people contacting our Helpline increase by more than 300 per cent. Nikki did so much in her life to raise awareness of eating disorders, but this tragedy brings home the stark reality of anorexia and other eating disorders.”
We speak to Rebecca Quinlan, who met Nikki 13 years ago and says, “The legacy Nikki is leaving behind is incredible,” as she now tries to inspire others to get better...