Nikki Grahame: who was Big Brother star, how did she die, how to watch Channel 4 ‘Who Is She’ documentary

Big Brother is returning to our screens tonight in a brand new reboot from ITV. It’s been five years since the reality TV show last graced our screens. This evening, 16 brand new contestants will enter the Big Brother House as they compete for the prize of being the last housemate standing.

Big Brother first appered on our screens in 2000, with the ITV edition being the twentieth season of the long-running social experiment. Originally airing on Channel 4, it moved to Channel 5 in August 2011, before the series ended in 2018.

The series made overnight stars of its contestants, for six weeks we followed their every move through friendships, hardships and romances. One such memorable star was Nikki Grahame who finished fifth in the 2006 series of Big Brother UK.

Grahame, who died in April 2021, aged just 38, was known for her explosive outbursts, comical statements and short-lived romance with Big Brother winner Pete Bennett. However, her life was tragically cut short in 2021 due to complications from anorexia.

Find out more about Nikki Grahame and her untimely death here.

Who was Nikki Grahame?

Nicola Rachele-Beth Grahame was an English television personality, model and author. The young reality star had battled with an eating disorder since the age of 12. She finished in fifth place in the seventh series of Big Brother UK in 2006 - in which she became famed for her iconic line ‘Who IS she? Who IS she?’.

That same year, Grahame won a National Television Award for Most Popular TV Contender and starred in her own reality series, Princess Nikki, which ran for one season on E4. In 2010, Grahame was the runner-up in Ultimate Big Brother.

Grahame had checked into her 11th mental health facility by October 2011, following another relapse, and a year later, she was sectioned following an overdose.

In 2015, the reality star appeared as a guest house mate on the 16th series of Big Brother UK - and a year later, she finished in sixth place on Big Brother Canada. However, before her Big Brother fame she had appeared as an extra on BBC’s EastEnders, she played a footballer’s wife in Sky’s Dream Team, and she had been a contestant on ITV’s Blind Date.

She also wrote two books, Dying to Be Thin (2009) and Fragile (2012), both of which are based on her experiences with anorexia.

How did Nikki Grahame die?

Nikki Grahame died of anorexia nervosa on 9 April 2021 - aged just 38. On 24 March 2021, Grahame entered Dorset County Hospital, where she remained for two weeks. However, a day after she was discharged - she was found dead in her flat, in Stanmore.

Her mother, Sue, told This Morning that Nikki always dreaded eating if she couldn’t exercise - so when gyms shut in the first Covid lockdown, her illness spiralled out of control.

Sue said: "In order for her to eat she needs to know she can exercise, so when they closed it was quite a worry, the isolation as well. I asked her if she would come and stay with me but she said she needs to be in her home."

Grahame’s friends and family had previously raised over £65,500 to start paying for life-saving care at a private hospital.

How to watch Nikki Grahame Channel 4’s Who Is She air?

A year following her death, Channel 4 released a documentary about the life of the much-loved reality star, called Nikki Grahame: Who is She?.

The one-hour documentary features home videos, stories of her life outside the spotlight, her triumphs in the Big Brother house, personal interviews with family and friends - and it will take a look at the struggles of dealing with anorexia. The documentary is still available to watch online on Channel 4.