Nicola Rachele-Beth Grahame (28 April 1982 – 9 April 2021) was an English television personality, model and author. She was a contestant on the
seventh series of ''
Big Brother UK
''Big Brother'' is the British version of the international reality television franchise '' Big Brother'' created by producer John de Mol in 1997. Broadcast yearly from 2000 to 2018, and due to return in 2023, the show follows the format of ot ...
'' in 2006, in which she finished in fifth place, and later starred in her own reality series ''
Princess Nikki''. In 2010, Grahame was runner-up in ''
Ultimate Big Brother
''Ultimate Big Brother'' was the final series of the UK reality television programme ''Big Brother (UK TV series), Big Brother'' to air on Channel 4. The series was produced by Remarkable Pictures, a division of Endemol.
''Ultimate Big Brother' ...
,'' and in 2015 she appeared as a guest housemate on the
sixteenth series of ''Big Brother UK''. The following year, she competed in the
fourth season of ''
Big Brother Canada
''Big Brother Canada'' is a Canada, Canadian television Reality competition, reality game show based on the Big Brother (Dutch TV series), Dutch reality show of the same name, which is part of the wider ''Big Brother (franchise), Big Brother'' f ...
'', finishing in sixth place. Grahame won a
National Television Award
The National Television Awards (often shortened to NTAs) is a British television awards ceremony, broadcast by the ITV network and initiated in 1995. The National Television Awards are the most prominent ceremony for which the results are voted ...
for Most Popular TV Contender.
Grahame suffered from
anorexia nervosa
Anorexia nervosa, often referred to simply as anorexia, is an eating disorder characterized by low weight, food restriction, body image disturbance, fear of gaining weight, and an overpowering desire to be thin. ''Anorexia'' is a term of Gr ...
throughout her life. She released the books ''Dying to Be Thin'' (2009) and ''Fragile'' (2012), both of which are based on her experiences with the illness. She died from anorexia nervosa complications on 9 April 2021, aged 38.
Early life
Grahame was born on 28 April 1982 in
Northwood,
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
.
She described her early childhood as the "happiest ever" but when she was eight, her parents divorced and her grandfather, to whom she was very close, died from
cancer
Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
.
Grahame, who had been described as a "daddy's girl", was upset by her parents' divorce, after which she was raised by her mother Susan. Grahame attended
Northwood School, London
Northwood School is a coeducational secondary school and sixth form located in the Northwood, London, Northwood area of the London Borough of Hillingdon, England. .
History
The school was originally opened in January 1934 as ''Potter Street Se ...
.
Anorexia nervosa
Grahame developed an eating disorder that resulted in her parents having her admitted to the children's eating disorders unit at the
Maudsley psychiatric hospital.
She was an in-patient for six weeks but after her release, she resumed under-eating and several months later, she was rushed to an emergency unit at
Hillingdon Hospital
Hillingdon Hospital is an NHS hospital in Pield Heath Road, Hillingdon, Greater London. It is one of two hospitals run by the Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the other being Mount Vernon Hospital.
History
The hospitals has its origi ...
, where she was
force-fed
Force-feeding is the practice of feeding a human or animal against their will. The term ''gavage'' (, , ) refers to supplying a substance by means of a small plastic feeding tube passed through the nose ( nasogastric) or mouth (orogastric) into t ...
through a nasal tube. She was then transferred to
Collingham Gardens
Collingham Gardens is a garden square in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London. Built between 1881 and 1888, the buildings on either side of the garden were designed by Ernest George and Peto, a firm that grafted Northern Europ ...
child and family psychiatric unit in west London, where her weight was increased. After eight months, she was allowed to return home.
For 18 months, Grahame remained at home and attended Northwood secondary school in Hillingdon, west London, before she started losing weight again. She was readmitted to Collingham Gardens, where she stayed for six months, and was then taken to
Great Ormond Street Hospital
Great Ormond Street Hospital (informally GOSH or Great Ormond Street, formerly the Hospital for Sick Children) is a children's hospital located in the Bloomsbury area of the London Borough of Camden, and a part of Great Ormond Street Hospital ...
, where she was placed on a psychiatric and eating disorders ward.
Grahame refused to willingly accept treatment and commented; "I was on a mission to starve myself to death ... I was obsessed".
This culminated in several
suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...
bids. At the age of 12, she stole a packet of
paracetamol
Paracetamol, also known as acetaminophen, is a medication used to treat fever and mild to moderate pain. Common brand names include Tylenol and Panadol.
At a standard dose, paracetamol only slightly decreases body temperature; it is inferior ...
tablets from the hospital's supplies and swallowed some. Shortly after, her weight drastically dropped and she fell into a coma; at one stage, her doctors predicted she was minutes from death.
After this incident, Grahame was force-fed through a tube that was stitched inside her stomach but when she regained consciousness, she continuously tried to remove the feeding apparatus.
Grahame was eventually admitted to Rhodes Farm, an eating disorders clinic in
Mill Hill
Mill Hill is a suburb in the London Borough of Barnet, England. It is situated around northwest of Charing Cross. Mill Hill was in the historic county of Middlesex until 1965, when it became part of Greater London. Its population counted 18, ...
, North London, and after six months, she began showing signs of improvement. She commented; "I woke up one morning and thought, 'What are you doing to yourself?'" At the age of 16, her weight had increased and she was released from the clinic. Grahame relapsed when she was 18, and spent time in an adult eating disorder ward. In the process of overcoming her eating disorder, she developed
obsessive-compulsive disorder involving a chronic fear of
germs.
Career
2003–2005: Early media appearances
Before Grahame appeared on ''Big Brother'', she appeared as an extra in the
BBC One
BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, p ...
soap opera ''
EastEnders
''EastEnders'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the Ea ...
'' and played a footballer's wife in
Sky One
Sky One was a British pay television channel operated and owned by Sky Group (a division of Comcast). Originally launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, it was Europe's first satellite and non-terrestrial channel. From 31 July 1989, ...
's ''
Dream Team
Dream Team may refer to:
Sport
Basketball
* Dream Team, the 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team in Barcelona
* Dream Team II, the 1994 U.S. men's national basketball team at the FIBA World Championship
* Dream Team III, the 1996 ...
''.
In 2003, she was a contestant on the ITV dating show ''
Blind Date
A blind date is a social engagement between two people who have not met, usually arranged by a mutual acquaintance.
Structure
A blind date is arranged for by a mutual acquaintance of both participants. The two people who take part in the blind ...
''.
Grahame, who had earned an
NVQ
National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) are practical work-based awards in England, Wales and Northern Ireland that are achieved through assessment and training. The regulatory framework supporting NVQs was withdrawn in 2015 and replaced by the ...
in beauty therapy, took part in the 2004 Miss Hertfordshire pageant, where she came fourth.
2006: ''Big Brother 7''
In May 2006, Grahame registered as a contestant on the
seventh series of the
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
reality television series ''
Big Brother'', in which she became known for her behaviour such as temper
tantrums
A tantrum, temper tantrum, lash out, meltdown, fit or hissy fit is an emotional outburst, usually associated with those in emotional distress, that is typically characterized by stubbornness, crying, screaming, violence, defiance, angry rant ...
, Diary Room theatrics, and becoming romantically linked to
Pete Bennett
Peter Alexander Bennett (born 22 March 1982) is an English television personality, actor and musician, who rose to fame after winning the seventh series of the Channel 4 reality series '' Big Brother'' in 2006. He has Tourette syndrome.
Caree ...
, the winner of the series. During her ''Big Brother'' tenure, tabloid newspapers reported Grahame had suffered from
anorexia nervosa
Anorexia nervosa, often referred to simply as anorexia, is an eating disorder characterized by low weight, food restriction, body image disturbance, fear of gaining weight, and an overpowering desire to be thin. ''Anorexia'' is a term of Gr ...
for most of her adolescence and several times had attempted suicide by taking an overdose of paracetamol. Media criticised the programme's decision to include a contestant with prior mental health issues; experts said she should not have been allowed to take part. However, Grahame herself admitted in her autobiography that she intentionally withheld her diagnoses and psychiatric history from the Big Brother team, and only admitted the truth when she was already in the House and struggling.
During her first stay in the ''Big Brother'' house, Grahame was nominated for eviction four times and was eventually evicted on Day 58 after gaining 37.2% of the public vote. Less than four weeks after her exit, she and three other ex-housemates were voted into the "House Next Door" by 63% of the voting public. The remaining contestants chose Grahame to return to the main house, although she had already been evicted. Grahame was reinstated as an eligible housemate and was again given the opportunity to receive the show's £100,000 prize; prompting 2,700 viewers to complain to the premium-rate telephone watchdog
ICSTIS
The Phone-paid Services Authority (PSA), known as PhonepayPlus until 1 November 2016, is the regulatory body for all premium rate phone-paid services in the United Kingdom. These are the content, goods and services that consumers can buy by ch ...
.
Grahame finished the show in fifth place with 6.5% of the final vote.
The crowd response was less positive than it had been at her prior eviction, when she departed to unanimous chanting and cheers. Host
Davina McCall
Davina Lucy Pascale McCall (born 16 October 1967) is an English television presenter. She was the presenter of the reality show ''Big Brother (UK), Big Brother'' during its run on Channel 4 between 2000 and 2010. She also hosted Channel 4's '' ...
attempted to interview Grahame but she was reluctant to speak, saying she was scared and shocked by the booing from the crowd.
Grahame's live interview was cut short and she was led off the stage.
2007–2009: After ''Big Brother 7''
After leaving the ''Big Brother'' House, Grahame presented the "Celebrity Spotting" section on one episode of ''
The Friday Night Project
''The Sunday Night Project'' is a British comedy-variety show by Princess Productions that first aired on Channel 4 in February 2005 under the title ''The Friday Night Project''. Originally broadcast on Friday nights, the show moved to Sunday n ...
'' that was normally presented by
Debra Stephenson
Debra Stephenson (born 4 June 1972) is an English actress, comedian, impressionist and singer, best known for her roles as Diane Powell in ''Playing the Field'', Shell Dockley in '' Bad Girls'' and as Frankie Baldwin in ''Coronation Street''.
...
. Grahame has also co-presented several episodes of ''
Celebrity Soup'', alongside
Iain Lee
Iain Lee (born Iain Lee Rougvie; 9 June 1973) is an English broadcaster, writer, and former television presenter and stand-up comedian who hosts the phone-in talk show '' The Late Night Alternative'' on "pay to view" Patreon.
Lee's career began ...
on the satellite channel
E! Entertainment Television
E! (an initialism for Entertainment Television) is an American basic cable channel which primarily focuses on pop culture, celebrity focused reality shows, and movies, owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of NBCUniversa ...
. After her first eviction, a reality television series similar to ''
Simple Life
Simple living refers to practices that promote simplicity in one's lifestyle. Common practices of simple living include reducing the number of possessions one owns, depending less on technology and services, and spending less money. Not only is ...
'' in which Grahame would star was announced. The programme followed her attempts to hold an everyday job and was inspired by her unsuccessful stint as a personal assistant in a ''Big Brother'' task.
''
Princess Nikki'' premiered on
E4 on 6 September and ran for six weeks.
Grahame made personal appearances, which included participation in various television shows such as ''
Celebrity Scissorhands
''Celebrity Scissorhands'' is a reality television show that is part of the BBC's '' Children in Need'' charity campaign, in which celebrities attempt to cut people's hair to raise money for the campaign while trained and watched by professional ...
'' and ''
8 out of 10 Cats
''8 Out of 10 Cats'' is a British comedy panel show broadcast on Channel 4 and its sister networks, airing since 3 June 2005. The show is hosted by Jimmy Carr; the current team captains are Rob Beckett and Katherine Ryan.
The show is based on ...
'', and appearances at student nights and clubs. On 24 March 2007, Grahame appeared on a special "Goodies and Baddies" edition of the game show ''
The Weakest Link
''Weakest Link'' (also known as ''The Weakest Link'') is a television game show which The Weakest Link (British game show), first appeared in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 14 August 2000 and originally ended on 31 March 2012 when its host ...
''. During round three, she was the strongest link of the team (answered the most questions correctly and earned the most money), but was eliminated in round five after then becoming the weakest link of the team. Grahame took part in the Soccer Six charity tournament at
Wrexham's Racecourse Ground
The Racecourse Ground ( cy, Y Cae Ras) is a football stadium in Wrexham, Wales. It is the home of Wrexham A.F.C.
It is the world's oldest international football stadium that still hosts international matches, having hosted Wales' first home i ...
in May 2007.
In June 2007, Grahame returned to the ''Big Brother'' franchise as a reporter for the spin-off show ''
Big Brother's Little Brother
This is a complete list of shows about and relating to ''Big Brother UK'' and ''Celebrity Big Brother''. The civilian edition ran from 2000 to 2018 and the celebrity edition ran from 2001 to 2018.
''Big Brother''
''Big Brother'' was a daily sho ...
''. Known as "The B-Team", Grahame and several other former housemates were sent to interview people about their opinions of ''
Big Brother 8''. She also wrote a ''Big Brother'' column in the magazine ''
OK!''. In September 2007, Grahame was given a regular column in ''OK!'s'' "Hot Stars" section.
2010: ''Ultimate Big Brother''
On 24 August 2010, Grahame competed in ''
Ultimate Big Brother
''Ultimate Big Brother'' was the final series of the UK reality television programme ''Big Brother (UK TV series), Big Brother'' to air on Channel 4. The series was produced by Remarkable Pictures, a division of Endemol.
''Ultimate Big Brother' ...
'', in which she was the only housemate to represent ''Big Brother 7''. Grahame was nominated for a double eviction in the show's second week of the show's run alongside five of her housemate. Grahame survived the public vote after polling fewer votes than at least two of the other nominees. On 10 September, Grahame became the show's runner-up, receiving a positive reaction from the audience after losing to ''
Big Brother 2
''Big Brother 2'' is the second season of various versions of '' Big Brother'' and may refer to:
* ''Big Brother 2'' (Netherlands), the 2000 edition of the Dutch version of ''Big Brother''
* ''Big Brother Germany'' (season 2), the 2000 version ...
'' winner
Brian Dowling in the final vote. Grahame finished the show three places higher than her placing in ''Big Brother 7''.
During Grahame's time in ''Ultimate Big Brother'', she appeared to be more comfortable discussing her anorexia; in particular, she conversed with
Vanessa Feltz
Vanessa Jane Feltz is an English television personality, broadcaster, and journalist. She has appeared on various television shows, including Vanessa (British TV series), ''Vanessa'' (1994–1998), ''The Big Breakfast'' (1996–1998), ''The Vane ...
, who has also had problems with her weight.
2015–2021: ''Big Brother Canada 4'' and final projects
In 2015, Grahame participated in the
sixteenth series of ''Big Brother'' as a "time warp housemate". In September 2015, she collaborated with
JYY London to design a range of fashion garments for petite women. In an interview with
''Reveal'' magazine, Grahame stated:
I've been on buying trips and been designing a lot of things myself. From the very start I said I wanted to be really hands on, from picking fabrics to designing labels and I feel like I've succeeded. I'm excited that it's a petite collection because sizing is always something I struggle with.
On 23 February 2016, Grahame was announced as one of four 'international wildcards' representing ''Big Brother UK'' who could be voted into the ''
Big Brother Canada
''Big Brother Canada'' is a Canada, Canadian television Reality competition, reality game show based on the Big Brother (Dutch TV series), Dutch reality show of the same name, which is part of the wider ''Big Brother (franchise), Big Brother'' f ...
'' house via an online vote. Following the series' first eviction on 3 March 2016, it was revealed Grahame, along with
Tim Dormer, the winner of the
tenth series of ''
Big Brother Australia
''Big Brother Australia'' (also known simply as ''Big Brother'') is an Australian reality show based on the international '' Big Brother'' format created by John de Mol.
Following the premise of other versions of the format, the show feature ...
'', had been voted into the house. They both became immune from eviction for that week. On 14 April, Grahame was voted in the top two Canadian choices to become the Head of Household (HoH) for the week but she lost a competition to fellow house guests
Nick & Phil Paquette. On 24 April, HoH Cassandra nominated Grahame for eviction as a "pawn" to evict a bigger target.
On 28 April, she survived this eviction attempt when
Jared Kesler was evicted in a 3:1 eviction vote. In a double-eviction twist, however, Grahame was again nominated for eviction alongside Dormer by the HoHs Nick and Phil. Dormer was vetoed off the block and was replaced by
Joel Lefevre. Grahame then became the tenth house guest to be evicted in a 3:0 eviction vote and received a standing ovation from the studio audience. Grahame was evicted on Day 63, her 34th birthday. As a result of her eviction, Grahame was the fifth member of the nine-person jury who decided the season's winner on Finale Night. She, along with six other jurors, voted for Nick and Phil to be the winners of the series.
In August 2017, Grahame appeared on the
Channel 5 documentary "
In Therapy In Therapy may refer to:
*'' BeTipul'' (''In Therapy''), a 2005 Israeli drama television series
** ''In Therapy'' (French TV series), a 2021 French remake of the Israeli TV series
**''En thérapie'', a 2012 French Canadian drama remake of the Israe ...
", which aired on 3 August 2017. The programme features Grahame in intensive, on-camera therapy sessions with psychotherapist Mandy Saligari, during which Grahame spoke about her
depression and anorexia.
Grahame often appeared on the panel of ''
Big Brother's Bit on the Side
This is a complete list of shows about and relating to ''Big Brother UK'' and ''Celebrity Big Brother''. The civilian edition ran from 2000 to 2018 and the celebrity edition ran from 2001 to 2018.
''Big Brother''
''Big Brother'' was a daily sho ...
.'' In 2017, Grahame was a special guest at the
''Big Brother Canada'' awards. In 2018, Grahame entered the ''Big Brother'' house for the final time. Speaking about it being the
last series, Grahame said:
There is something about this house where nothing else matters. ''Big Brother'' has played such a huge part of my life, it changed my life for the better. I don’t have one regret, not one. It will always have a place in my heart. Thank you ''Big Brother'' for everything. Literally, everything.
Personal life
At the age of 18, Grahame was given
breast implants
A breast implant is a prosthesis used to change the size, shape, and contour of a person's breast. In reconstructive plastic surgery, breast implants can be placed to restore a natural looking breast following a mastectomy, to correct congenital ...
on the
National Health Service
The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). Since 1948, they have been funded out of general taxation. There are three systems which are referred to using the " ...
because her anorexia had left her flat-chested. In April 2007, Grahame said she had undergone corrective plastic surgery on her breast implants to fix "ripples" left by the first operation.
In October 2011, Grahame confirmed she had relapsed and was again suffering from anorexia, stating she had checked into her 11th institution. In 2012, Grahame was
sectioned
Involuntary commitment, civil commitment, or involuntary hospitalization/hospitalisation is a legal process through which an individual who is deemed by a qualified agent to have symptoms of severe mental disorder is detained in a psychiatric hos ...
following an overdose.
Death
In March 2021, Grahame's family announced she had again relapsed, that she "constantly feels weak and is struggling on a day to day basis", and that she wanted to recover but felt it was "impossible". They opened a
GoFundMe
GoFundMe is an American for-profit crowdfunding platform that allows people to raise money for events ranging from life events such as celebrations and graduations to challenging circumstances like accidents and illnesses. From 2010 to the b ...
fundraiser to pay for private treatment because the NHS treatments had "failed". The family said they had "exhausted every avenue possible" and raised over £60,000 for Grahame's treatment. On 24 March, following a fall Grahame entered
Dorset County Hospital
Dorset County Hospital is a district general hospital in the town of Dorchester, Dorset, England. The hospital is managed by Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
History
Plans were developed in the early 1980s for a modern facility to ...
, where she remained until she was discharged on 8 April. The next day, she was found dead in her
Stanmore
Stanmore is part of the London Borough of Harrow in London. It is centred northwest of Charing Cross, lies on the outskirts of the London urban area and includes Stanmore Hill, one of the highest points of London, at high. The district, which ...
flat; she had died from complications of anorexia nervosa at the age of 38.
[ She had been due to enter a private facility in Devon to receive specialist treatment the following week. At the time of her death, Grahame weighed less than .
Among those who paid tributes were former ''Big Brother UK'' presenter ]Davina McCall
Davina Lucy Pascale McCall (born 16 October 1967) is an English television presenter. She was the presenter of the reality show ''Big Brother (UK), Big Brother'' during its run on Channel 4 between 2000 and 2010. She also hosted Channel 4's '' ...
, ''Big Brother Canada'' host Arisa Cox
Arisa Cox (born December 7, 1978) is a Canadian television and radio personality, best known as the host of '' Big Brother Canada''.[Paddy McGuinness
Patrick Joseph McGuinness (born 14 August 1973) is an English actor, comedian and television presenter. He rose to fame with the help of Peter Kay, who invited him to appear in his programmes ''That Peter Kay Thing'', ''Phoenix Nights'' and ''Ma ...]
, and other ''Big Brother'' alumni including Rylan Clark-Neal
Ross Richard Clark (born 25 October 1988), known professionally as Rylan, is an English broadcaster and model. He finished in fifth place on the ninth series of ''The X Factor'' in 2012, and the following year, he won the eleventh series of ...
, Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace
Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace (}; born 28 December 1978) is an English television personality, model, actress and columnist who emerged into the public eye in 2006 when she appeared as a contestant in the seventh series of reality television show ' ...
, Pete Bennett
Peter Alexander Bennett (born 22 March 1982) is an English television personality, actor and musician, who rose to fame after winning the seventh series of the Channel 4 reality series '' Big Brother'' in 2006. He has Tourette syndrome.
Caree ...
, Katie Price
Katrina Amy Alexandra Alexis Price (''née'' Infield; born 22 May 1978) is an English media personality and model. She gained recognition in the late 1990s for her Glamour photography, glamour modelling work and had regular appearances on Pag ...
, Imogen Thomas
Imogen Mary Thomas (born 29 November 1982) is a Welsh model and television personality. She won the Miss Wales award in 2003, and appeared on the seventh series of Channel 4 reality television programme '' Big Brother'' in 2006. In 2011, her a ...
, and Richard Newman. A tribute to Grahame was aired at the start of episode 18 of '' Big Brother Canada 9''. The week following Grahame's death, her GoFundMe page was re-opened to raise money for her funeral and for eating disorder charities.
Filmography
Awards
Books
* 2009: ''Dying to Be Thin'' (autobiography)
* 2012: ''Fragile'' (autobiography)
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grahame, Nikki
1982 births
2021 deaths
21st-century English women writers
Big Brother Canada contestants
Big Brother (British TV series) contestants
English women writers
English autobiographers
English female models
People from Watford
Television personalities from Hertfordshire
Women autobiographers
Neurological disease deaths in England
Deaths from anorexia nervosa