Jade Goody, who gained fame in 2002 when she appeared on the British version of Big Brother, has died after a seven-month battle with cervical cancer. She was 27.
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Goody passed away in her sleep early Sunday morning at her home in Upshire, Essex surrounded by her husband Jack Tweed, mother Jackiey, and family friend Kevin Adams, the U.K.'s The Sun newspaper reported.
"I've lost my beautiful girl," said Jackiey, according to The Sun. "Jade died at 3.55AM this morning. Family and friends would like some privacy - at last."
Following her stint on Britain's Big Brother at the age of 21, Goody gained celebrity status in her native U.K. and subsequently starred in the show's celebrity version in 2007 -- which is when she was accused of racist bullying against Indian actress Shilpa Shetty.
Goody also starred in the Indian version of Celebrity Big Brother last summer, which is when she received a phone call from a doctor in Britain informing her she had been diagnosed with cervical cancer.
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She subsequently withdrew from the show and returned to the U.K., only to have her illness documented in detail by the British tabloids. In addition, part of Goody's surgery and chemotherapy was also filmed.
"She died as she lived in the public eye," said her spokesman Max Clifford, according to The Sun. "It was her way of handling it. She's touched the public's hearts."
Goody is survived by her husband and two sons -- 5-year-old Bobby and 4-year-old Freddie.
About The Author: Christopher Rocchio