'Celebrity Big Brother' returns to our screens tonight (Monday 4 March) on ITV 1, and as we eagerly await confirmation of just who will be entering the famous house tonight, it's natural to start thinking about those who have been there before them.
'Big Brother', which is thought to be the ultimate social experiment by many, has been one of the UK's best loved reality TV shows for more than two decades. In that time, the show has made household names of some of its contestants, as well as allowed already famous faces to experience it for themselves with celebrity versions of the show.
Unfortunately, with such a long running show, it is somewhat inevitable that some of the previous stars have died since their stint on the show. Here, we take a look back at the life of 10 past Big Brother stars who are no longer with us.
1. Jade Goody
Jade appeared on the third series of Big Brother in 2002. She finished in fourth place, but she won a place in the nation's hearts. She returned to the UK Big Brother house five years later, but she found herself embroiled in a racism row which involved her Jo O’Meara, Danielle Lloyd, Jackiey Budden and Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty. The following year, 2008, she appeared on ‘Bigg Boss’, the Indian version of Big Brother. It was while taking part in this series that she found out she’d been diagnosed with cervical cancer. She returned to the UK and began treatment but the disease was soon diagnosed as terminal. She died on 22 March 2009, exactly one month after she married her husband Jack Tweedy. She left behind two children, Bobby and Freddie, who she shared with her ex-partner Jeff Brazier, who were just five and four at the time. Photo by Getty Images. Photo: Getty Images
2. David Gest
Producer, television personality and concert promoter David Gest appeared on the 17th series of Celebrity Big Brother in 2016. He had to leave due to a medical condition, however, after spending just 13 days in the house. Before his exit, a misunderstanding when Angie Bowie told fellow housemate Tiffany Pollard that 'David had died' - meaning her ex-husband iconic musician David Bowie. Pollard mistakenly assumed that she meant Gest, however, although he was asleep in bed. He actually passed away, on April 12 2016, just months after the series ended. The 62-year-old was found dead in his room at the Four Seasons Hotel in East London's Canary Wharf. It was later reported that he had died of a stroke. Photo by Getty Images.
3. Dustin Diamond
Actor and comedian Dustin Diamond appeared on the 12th season of Celebrity Big Brother in 2013. He became the fourth housemate to be evicted on day 16. He died at the age of 44 on February 1 2021 following a battle with lung cancer. He was best known for appearing in American sitcom "Saved by the Bell". Photo by Getty Images. Photo: Mark Mainz
4. LONDON - JULY 14: Nikki Grahame poses for photographers after being the eighth person to be evicted from the Big Brother Seven House on July 14, 2006 in Borehamwood, England. (Photo by MJ Kim/Getty Images)
Nikki Grahame was the eighth person to be evicted from the Big Brother Seven House in 2006, meaning she came in fifth place. She was best known for starting a relationship with fellow housemate Pete Bennett, and although the pair's romantic connection ended after they left they house they remained friends until her death in April 2021. She was 38-years-old and died from complications of anorexia nervosa, which she had struggled with for most of her life. Photo by Getty Images.