Nicki Graeme - Big Brother Star Dies

[Steddenm]

Big Brother 6 contestant, Nicki Graeme, has lost her battle with annl eating disorder, and has died at the age of 38.

Full story here...

Nikki Grahame, who shot to fame in Big Brother in 2006, has died, her agent has confirmed.

The star had been battling an eating disorder and reportedly been at a private hospital.


Confirming Grahame had passed away, her agent wrote: "It is with immeasurable sadness that Nikki Grahame passed away in the early hours of Friday 9 April 2021.


"Please respect the privacy of Nikki's friends and family at this tragic and difficult time."

Posting on a GoFundMe page that was helping her hospital stay, friend Leon Dee wrote: "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.


"We would like to request privacy at this difficult time, while Nikki's friends and family process the sad news."


Throughout much of her personal life, Grahame has spoken of her struggles with anorexia nervosa, and had checked into more than a dozen centres in an effort to beat the disorder, and had written two autobiographical books based on her experiences.

 

[brad465]

I can't remember the thread title for news stories overshadowed by another, but this one would be an example I think.

I've also seen reports suggesting the closure of gyms caused her anorexia to relapse, according to her mother.

 

[yorksrob]

Oh yes, I stopped watching Big Brother after a few series, but I remember this young Lady. Very sad untimely death.

 

[PTR 444]

I can't remember the thread title for news stories overshadowed by another, but this one would be an example I think.

Here:

Trivia: Significant news stories that were kept off the top spot by another story

The thought came to me that because Covid has dominated the headlines this year, it has meant a lot of other significant events have been kept off the "main story" spot for many news channels. Examples include Brexit, the US presidential election, and Harry and Megan quitting royal duties...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[Gloster]

With no disrespect intended to the lady, her family, fans and friends, I do not think that this can be described as a significant news story. What is happening in Northern Ireland, Myanmar, Ukraine or St Vincent is.

 

[birchesgreen]

WHO IS SHE?!?!?!

 

[C J Snarzell]

WHO IS SHE?!?!?!

In any case this is a tragic death of someone so young.

I do vaguely remember her from the 2006 Big Brother series when she famously went 'ape-s**t' in the diary room which was cringe worthy to watch.

Like many who graced BB, Ms Graham hung on to the shirt tails of celebrity life and was regularly featured in those tacky showbiz magazines you can find in most paper shops.

I suspect, like the late Caroline Flack and Jade Goody, Ms Graham fell into that category of 'celebrity' who perhaps didn't cope with the trappings of the limelight and very quickly became a target for negative publicity which may have contributed to her mental illness.

A very sad death all the same for her and her loved ones. Having known someone who died of anorexia a few years ago it is a slow deteriorating illness rather like alcoholism where the body begins to fail/shut down.

As someone has already said, her death (like Mother Theresa and Farah Fawcett) is completely over shadowed by the death of someone far more powerful in the media. This may be a blessing for her family who at least won't get hounded by the press during this difficult time.

CJ

 

[birchesgreen]

Her fame may have been fleeting in the big scheme of things but to this day I've heard people mimic some of her sayings. She apparently suffered with anorexia for many years, which took her life in the end. Its a sad ending for someone still pretty young.

 

[C J Snarzell]

Her fame may have been fleeting in the big scheme of things but to this day I've heard people mimic some of her sayings. She apparently suffered with anorexia for many years, which took her life in the end. Its a sad ending for someone still pretty young.

Too true.

There are those in society who should never be put in the limelight because of their vulnerabilities and short comings - sadly they just become a target for the media when things start to go wrong. The Love Island programme is a prime example of when people get five minutes of fame and then cannot cope afterwards.

CJ

 

[birchesgreen]

Those programmes are all about exploitation for "entertainment", that's why I went off BB after a while, it was becoming clear they were picking vulnerable people on purpose.

 

[brad465]

As someone has already said, her death (like Mother Theresa and Farah Fawcett) is completely over shadowed by the death of someone far more powerful in the media. This may be a blessing for her family who at least won't get hounded by the press during this difficult time.

On the BBC news site it's the most read article (both now and yesterday evening) ahead of anything on the Duke, however I agree beyond that I don't see the press giving her and her family much attention.

 

[Scotrail314209]

I was rather shocked when I heard the news, and if the gyms being closed are one of the reasons that she relapsed, then it just shows how underestimated the gym may be to other people battling the same condition.

It's a shame as my Mother isn't much older, she was way too young to go.

I also hope it highlights the dangers of anorexia a lot more now. She has been prominent with teenagers recently, with people I know repeating her sayings.

 

[AlterEgo]

On the BBC news site it's the most read article (both now and yesterday evening) ahead of anything on the Duke, however I agree beyond that I don't see the press giving her and her family much attention.

Which is probably for the best given the tragic nature of her death.

 

[Strathclyder]

On the BBC news site it's the most read article (both now and yesterday evening) ahead of anything on the Duke, however I agree beyond that I don't see the press giving her and her family much attention.

Indeed; it can only be for the best given the tragic nature of her death. As @Scotrail314209 notes, this will hopefully increase awareness of the dangers of anorexia and thus, better support those battling it. The best way to honour her life I think.

 

[kermit]

Those programmes are all about exploitation for "entertainment", that's why I went off BB after a while, it was becoming clear they were picking vulnerable people on purpose.

I remember being shocked at school when I learned that the Victorians would entertain themselves by touring the asylums. Did we actually live through a post war golden age of respect for mental health issues until the mid-90s emergence of "reality television"?

 

[Geezertronic]

I suspect, like the late Caroline Flack and Jade Goody, Ms Graham fell into that category of 'celebrity' who perhaps didn't cope with the trappings of the limelight and very quickly became a target for negative publicity which may have contributed to her mental illness.

Jade Goody died of cancer, hardly fair to include her in this discussion

 

[PR1Berske]

Jade Goody died of cancer, hardly fair to include her in this discussion

To a degree it is...though Goody and Graeme are both interesting examples of women, and emotionally insecure women, who found themselves thrown into the bear pit of celebrity culture without any safeguarding or protection. Both found themselves in an early Internet era scientific experiment, cruelly exploited and expected to live the celebrity life for which they had to preparation.

I remember being shocked at school when I learned that the Victorians would entertain themselves by touring the asylums. Did we actually live through a post war golden age of respect for mental health issues until the mid-90s emergence of "reality television"?

If we look back at those early years of "reality tv", very little of it stands up today. Producers were desperate for something, anything, to battle against the great unknown of early Internet culture and everything it promised/threatened to do to traditional television viewing habits. They had no limits, because there wasn't awareness that limits were required, to how far they could go.

There is, I think, still a great lost re-evaluation to how TV treated people in the 90s, and that includes The Word, reality TV, game show contestants, the lot. It was a very peculiar time.

 

[Gloster]

In an example of something that even I thought to be in bad taste (and it takes a lot to do that) I saw a rip-off/exploitation book titled Jade Goody 1981-2009 in a shop before she had died.

 

[C J Snarzell]

Jade Goody died of cancer, hardly fair to include her in this discussion

Very true, but as aoin has stated, Jade Goody became a target for media 'hatred' following the awful Celebrity Big Brother appearance when she was accused of racism towards her fellow housemate (the Bollywood actress who's name I cannot remember now).

Caroline Flack became a target for a similar type of negative press attention which sadly contributed to her death - the press seem to 'convict' her immediately following her arrest.

CJ

 

[birchesgreen]

Dean (BB2) wrote a book on his experiences inside the house, plus how they are manipulated and exploited. It's a very good read.

 

[Geezertronic]

Very true, but as aoin has stated, Jade Goody became a target for media 'hatred' following the awful Celebrity Big Brother appearance when she was accused of racism towards her fellow housemate (the Bollywood actress who's name I cannot remember now).

Caroline Flack became a target for a similar type of negative press attention which sadly contributed to her death - the press seem to 'convict' her immediately following her arrest.

CJ

Ironically yesterday whilst chatting with friends (younger than me), the discussion about the abuse of the internet and social media came up. Facebook & Twitter are very much 21st Century inventions and are still in their teenage years - my three kids are older than both These social media companies have never obtained the balance between free speech and all forms of abuse correctly and I don't think they ever will unless they adopt a more robust sign-up method.

People tend to think they can say what they like behind a keyboard and get away with it. These companies along with ISPs and law enforcement need to issue a bigger deterrent to do more to stop all forms of abuse on their platforms. It's all too easy to create an account, issue abuse, and discard the account if & when it gets shut down. Personally I don't say anything via the keyboard that I wouldn't say to a persons face

 

[brad465]

Very true, but as aoin has stated, Jade Goody became a target for media 'hatred' following the awful Celebrity Big Brother appearance when she was accused of racism towards her fellow housemate (the Bollywood actress who's name I cannot remember now).

Caroline Flack became a target for a similar type of negative press attention which sadly contributed to her death - the press seem to 'convict' her immediately following her arrest.

CJ

I wasn't following that row at the time, but do know it received the most Ofcom complaints of all time until Piers Morgan recently slated Meghan Markle's interview on GMB just before he ended up stepping down, which happens to be another incident of, regardless of who's guilty and by how much, one's celebrity status making them a target by the media.