REALITY TV star Jade Goody finally lost her battle with cervical cancer yesterday – her death in the early hours of the morning lending added poignancy for many on Mother’s Day.
Her agent, Max Clifford, said it was “ironic” that the 27-year-old had died on Mother’s Day, given that she had been “a wonderful mum and so determined to secure the best possible future for her boys” Bobby (5) and Freddie (4). Their father, TV presenter Jeff Brazier, said he was “devastated” at Jade’s death while “grateful” the boys had been “able to say their goodbyes and spend that precious time with their wonderful mother”.
Mr Clifford said following their joint christening ceremony earlier this month, Goody had explained to the boys “that mummy was going to heaven”, a place she told them where people who were ill went to get better. “She said when they look in the sky and see a star, that’s mummy looking down.”
Goody’s mother Jackiey Budden and her husband Jack Tweed, whom she married in February, were with her at the end. “My beautiful daughter is at peace,” said Ms Budden, as she asked for “privacy, at last” for the family while they grieved ahead of a funeral planned as “a big celebration” of Goody’s life.
Prime minister Gordon Brown led the tributes to Goody, who had used her public fight for life to secure the financial future of her children while raising public awareness of the need for early cervical cancer tests for young women. Mr Brown said he was “deeply saddened” by the news, describing Goody as “a courageous woman” in life and death.
“She will be remembered fondly by all who knew her, and her family can be extremely proud of the work she has done to raise awareness of cervical cancer, which will benefit thousands of women across the United Kingdom,” the prime minister said.
Goody shot to fame as a contestant in the third series of Big Brotherin 2002 but fell from public favour after an appalling performance on a subsequent celebrity version of the same show. On Celebrity Big Brothershe was accused of racist behaviour toward the eventual winner, Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty. A distressed Goody emphatically denied the charge, was reconciled with Ms Shetty and, ironically, first learned of her diagnosis with cervical cancer last August in front of the cameras in the diary room of the Big Boss House, the Indian version of Celebrity Big Brother.
Simon Hughes, the Liberal Democrat MP for North Southwark and Bermondsey, where Goody grew up, said she was “a Bermondsey girl who went from public ridicule and public rebukes to public respect and public sympathy”.
As television clips testified to Goody's remarkable beauty on the occasion of her televised marriage to Mr Tweed – which OK!magazine also paid a reported £700,000 (€515,000) to cover – the actor Stephen Fry said the reality TV star had been "a kind of Princess Di from the wrong side of the tracks".
Having met her on a television chat show, Fry wrote on Twitter: “Poor, dear Jade . . . I warmed to her immensely. All impulsive spirit and smiles. What a life!”