Reality TV star Imogen Thomas has revealed the struggles Nikki Grahame faced in the days before she died.
To coincide with the year anniversary of Nikki's death, former Big Brother star Imogen paid tribute to her friend. Nikki sadly passed away on April 9, 2021 at just 38-years-old following a lifelong battle with anorexia.
Nikki passed away in her sleep just a day after she was discharged from hospital, OK! magazine reports. Imogen, 39, and Nikki first met during their stint on Big Brother back in 2006, and their friendship remained strong.
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But the Covid-19 pandemic really took its toll on Nikki, and she relapsed into anorexia when gyms closed at the start of lockdown in 2020. Imogen has since reflected on their friendship and even revealed she tried to intervene and have Nikki sectioned in a desperate attempt to save her life.
She said: "She deteriorated so much, she didn’t have any control over it, she was so ill. When she tried to walk up the stairs she couldn’t move her legs and had to pick them up with her hands."
Imogen added: "She called me a few weeks before she died saying she wanted to die. She didn’t want to be anorexic, she really did want to fight this but there was a part in her head that just couldn’t do it."
Although Nikki was desperate to recover from the eating disorder, she insisted that being admitted to hospital didn't help because "the patients would have a competition to see who can be the thinnest".
In an emotional interview with OK! recently, Nikki's mum Susan poured her heart out about her daughter's disease and final days, explaining how she did everything she could to help - but it was never enough. "They're honestly a blessing," she said.
Susan also revealed she begged Nikki to go home with her on the day she was released from hospital last year. Sadly, Nikki insisted she wanted to be alone but had promised her mum she was going to go a recovery clinic in London a few days later.
The heartbroken mum said: "I was the last person to speak to Nikki. On the day she died, she called me at 3.30am to tell me she’d made it to the bathroom with her new walking frame.
"I said, 'Well done Nikki, take it one step at a time.' She replied, 'I’m so tired, Mum.' I told her, 'It’s OK, Sausage. Close your eyes and go back to sleep.' She died in her sleep that night. I’d heard her final breaths."
Anybody with an eating disorder who needs support should contact their GP, local community eating disorder service, or mental health crisis service to get the help they need.
Beat Eating Disorders: Beat provides helplines for adults and young people offering support and information about eating disorders. These helplines are free to call from all phones. Adult Helpline: 0808 801 0677, Studentline: 0808 801 0811, Youthline: 0808 801 0711. www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk
If you are in need of urgent help for yourself or someone else outside of their Helpline opening hours, please contact 999 or the Samaritans on 116 123 if you or someone else is in immediate danger.
