From Bermondsey to Big Brother: Remembering Jade Goody

Click through to remember the ultimate Big Brother housemate...

Jade first caught the attention of the Big Brother producers with her bizarre audition video – she thought it would be a good idea to introduce herself while manoeuvring her body through an elastic band. It must've worked though, because she became a contestant on series three in 2002.

She quickly became known for her hilarious one-liners. She showed off her geographical knowledge with the question "Where's East Angular? I thought that was abroad."Jade thought Rio de Janeiro was a person, and had never heard of asparagus. Her housemates – and the British public – fell in love with her.

Jade's antics in the house completely divided the nation. She'd gotten naked, reportedly had sex and many claimed to hate her. In fact, Channel 4 had received signs telling them to 'burn the pig' – but for every person who hated her, there were many more who loved Jade. She probably didn't help things with her exit outfit, though.

Jade came fourth in her year of Big Brother, but went on to become undoubtedly the most successful housemate ever. At the height of her fame, Jade was worth somewhere between £2m and £4m. She owned nice houses and flash cars, and everything she put her name to sold. Her autobiography was a best-seller and her perfume outsold David and Victoria Beckham's. Not bad for a dental nurse from Bermondsey.

In 2002 Jade met Jeff Brazier who'd shot to fame after appearing on Channel 4's Shipwrecked. They quickly became a golden couple and had two children together, Bobby Jack and Freddy. But things didn't work out, and Jade and Jeff broke up in 2004.

In 2007 Jade re-entered the Big Brother house for the celebrity version. She took part with her then-boyfriend Jack Tweed and her mum Jackiey Budden. But it wasn't long before Jade became embroiled in a bitter war with Indian actress Shilpa Shetty. The nation turned against Jade. Most of the country accused her of racially abusing Shilpa, as they argued about petty things like OXO Cubes. For the first time in Big Brother history, there was no studio audience present for Jade's eviction – as producers feared for her safety.

In 2007 Jade told Closer: "Last year, everything I touched turned to gold. My perfume was outselling the Beckhams' and I was at the peak of my career, so I was probably due a tumble. I didn't expect it to be so bad, but it's made me stronger."

Jade made the decision to appear on the Indian version of Big Brother, Bigg Boss, in 2008. Shilpa was the presenter and, by this point, she and Jade had worked things out, with Shilpa insisting she never felt Jade had been racist. But shortly after her entrance, Jade was called into the diary room and told she had cervical cancer.

In February 2009, Jade's publicist confirmed her cancer was terminal and she had just months to live. To the surprise of some, Jade documented her final months with interviews, a new autobiography and a reality TV show. She said at the time: "I always wanted my sons to have what I never could. I want to make as much money as possible to look after my boys. I know I'm ignorant, but I'm going to make sure my boys get the best education."

One of Jade's final wishes was to marry Jack. On 22 February she and Jack exchanged vows, and she sold the rights of the pictures to a magazine for £700,000. In early March 2009 Jade asked to be baptised and had her sons christened. Then on Mother's Day 2009, Jade died in her sleep. Thousands of people flocked to watch her funeral in Essex. Her sons didn't attend the funeral, as Jeff took them to Australia to escape the media.

During the final episode of Big Brother on Channel 4 presenter Davina McCall introduced a 15-minute video montage of Jade's life, branding her the ultimate Big Brother housemate.