Coolio’s one-time Celebrity Big Brother nemesis Tina Malone has paid tribute to the rapper.
On Wednesday (28 September), it was announced that the “Gangsta’s Paradise” rapper has died, aged 59.
His representatives confirmed the news to The Independent, stating: “We are saddened by the loss of our dear friend and client, Coolio, who passed away this afternoon. He touched the world with the gift of his talent and will be missed profoundly.
“Thank you to everyone worldwide who has listened to his music and to everyone who has been reaching out regarding his passing. Please have Coolio’s loved ones in your thoughts and prayers.”
Coolio, real name Artis Leon Ivey Jr, is best known for his 1995 Grammy Award-winning hit single, which was released as the soundtrack for the Michelle Pfeiffer film, Dangerous Minds. The song spent three weeks at the top of Billboard’s Hot 100 list.
Others will remember him for his appearances in two separate series of Celebrity Big Brother – one in 2009, when he finished third, and again the following year for Ultimate Big Brother, during which he voluntarily left the house five days in, following a series of rows with Big Brother 5 winner Nadia Almada.
During Coolio’s time in the standalone CBB series, he also had a memorable run-in wth Shameless actor Tina Malone, who let rip at him when he refused to let eventual winner Ulrika Jonsson deliver a shopping list to the Diary Room.
However, the two eventually patched things up.
Paying tribute to the rapper on Twitter, Malone, 59, wrote: “RIP COOLIO! YOU DROVE ME NUTS, YOU MADE ME LAUGH! GLAD WE GOT TO MAKE UP! Godbless xx.”
Other former contestants to pay tribute to Coolio include A1 singer Ben Adams, who wrote: “Very sad news to wake up to. Had a lot of fun with Coolio and indeed Verne on @bbuk and beyond 🥹 time to dig out the old clips and reminisce. RIP.”
Adams was referring to Verne Troyer, the Austin Powers actor, who featured on the same series. Troyer died in 2018.
