NIKKI Grahame was lined up for a job on Big Brother before her death.
The late star, 38, was thought of as “family” by show bosses after she shot to fame in the 2006 series.
Nikke Graeme had a job set up on Big Brother’s Bit on the Side[/caption]She went on to star on Big Brother four times throughout her career.
And now The Sun can reveal there were behind the scenes discussions to bring Nikki onto Big Brother’s Bit On The Side hosted by legendary housemate Rylan Clark-Neal.
A show insider told The Sun: “When Celebrity Big Brother was on air Nikki was always on set as she went on Big Brother’s Bit On The Side a lot.
“She was really loved on set but all production and crew. She walked around freely and was a friend to everyone.
Rylan Clark-Neal was behind the move[/caption]“She’d been on the show a lot, and guest appearances on shows all over the world – but that was coming to an end.
“For this reason she needed to think about a new strategy professionally and started talking to BB about working behind the scenes as a researcher. She knew the brand inside out, was actually bright, creative and full of some kooky ideas.
“We were all for it, and Rylan/BBBOTS loved her and were thinking along the same lines.
“Then C5 pulled the plug on the show and it was over soon after that so she never got the chance to work behind the scenes.”
He paid tribute to ‘icon’ Nikki this week[/caption]EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide.
It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun launched the You’re Not Alone campaign.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let’s all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You’re Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
Nikki passed away after a long battle with anorexia, on Saturday.
She was adored by Big Brother fans for her famous “who is she” catchphrase in the seventh series where she finished in fifth place.
After her first appearance in Big Brother, she was given her own reality show, Princess Nikki, but it flopped and was discontinued after six episodes.
Nikki returned to Big Brother four times – Ultimate Big Brother in 2010, as a ‘time warp’ housemate in 2015, Canadian Big Brother in 2017 and she returned to the UK version in 2018, after it was announced it would be the last series to air on Channel 5.
But her life-long struggle with anorexia worsened in lockdown, with her mum Sue saying her health battle was sparked when gyms closed and Nikki‘s growing isolation as she lived alone triggered her relapse.
The star died on Saturday of anorexia[/caption] She was a legend on the hit show – appearing on it four times[/caption]Speaking about how much Big Brother meant to her, Nikki said “There is something about this house where nothing else matters.
“Big Brother has played such a huge part of my life, it changed my life for the better.
“I don’t have one regret, not one. It will always have a place in my heart.
“Thank you Big Brother for everything. Literally, everything.”
Paying tribute to the Big Brother icon, Rylan said this week: “Thinking of Susan and Nikki’s close friends and family. A Big Brother Icon x.”