Big Brother fans’ tears as Davina McCall and Rylan Clark-Neal pay tribute to ‘perfect’ late Jade Goody

Iconic old episodes of the show have been airing during lockdown

Rylan Clarke Jade Goody Davina McCall

by Marianna Manson |
Updated on

OG reality show Big Brother has been showing old episodes during lockdown, hosted by the first presenter of the main show, Davina McCall and Big Brother’s Bit on the Side (BBOTS) presenter Rylan Clarke-Neal.

So far they’ve delivered such gems as THAT explosive tantrum from Nikki Graham in the diary room and the episode that saw regular gal Chantelle Houghton infiltrate the Celebrity house.

Jade Goody
Jade before her death in 2009 ©Getty

And after revisiting an episode from series three back in 2002, (the series that made Alison Hammond and Kate Lawler famous, FYI) Rylan and Davina paid tribute to “perfect housemate” Jade Goody, who also starred in that series and tragically passed away from cervical cancer in 2009.

“If we had a factory where we were able to build housemates I think Jade would be one of the first off the production line," said Rylan.

Davina added, "All of us could relate to her in some form or another.

"We felt for her. We cried with her. We laughed at her, then we started laughing with her. Then we loved her with all of our hearts."

CHECK OUT From Bermondsey to Big Brother: Remembering Jade Goody

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From Bermondsey to Big Brother: Remembering Jade Goody

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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."

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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.

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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."

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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.

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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.

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Fans took to Twitter to share their love for Jade, with one writng, “Aww we will never forget our Jade, iconic housemate who was loved by so many! #BBUK”.

“I hope Jade’s legacy continues, a beautiful woman, may she RIP”, said another, while one more added, “Hearing you two chat about Jade got me all emotional. She was such a beautiful, fun person and an amazing mum to her two boys. Gone far too soon. May she rest in peace.”

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Jade in the BB house ©Channel 4

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One more said, "We miss you Jade such a down to earth lovely girl. She saved so many lives with documenting her journey to the end. She was one hell of a young lady.”

Last year Jeff Brazier – who is father to Jade’s two sons Bobby and Freddie, revealed how the anniversary of her death affects them, saying, "We’re coming up close to the tenth anniversary, which is a really difficult time. It really stirs up so much in them [Bobby and Freddie]. You can see their behaviour is slightly altered as a result.

"They promise as teenagers that it isn’t impacting them, but you know better as an adult that it is... As a parent you want to protect and keep your kids away from pain. Ten years ago something happened that I couldn't take away, and it's been a crazy ten years. We've gone up, we've gone down, we've gone up... and that's pretty much on a weekly basis."

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