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Big Brother star dies in her sleep

British TV reality star Jade Goody, who suffered a public battle with cervical cancer, died in her sleep at home early Sunday, her publicist Max Clifford said.

Goody's mother Jackiey Budden said: "My beautiful daughter is at peace." Clifford said Goody's mother Jackiey and husband Jack Tweed were at her side. A family friend, Kevin Adams, was also there.

"I think she's going to be remembered as a young girl who has, and who will, save an awful lot of lives," he said, referring to how her public battle with cancer has raised awareness of the disease. "She was a very, very brave girl," he said.

"And she faced her death in the way she faced her whole life – full on, with a lot of courage."

Clifford said he hoped Goody's family would be left in peace to grieve.

Found fame on Big Brother
The ex-dental nurse from south London found fame on the "Big Brother" reality television show in 2002, and has been in the public eye ever since.

She sparked uproar when she taunted Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty on British TV's "Celebrity Big Brother" in 2007, calling her "Shilpa Poppadom" but the two patched things up, and the Briton later appeared on India's version of the programme.

It was on the Indian programme, which 33-year-old Shetty hosted, that Goody found out she was suffering from cancer. Her fight with cancer has won the hearts of the British public.

Put her house in order
Goody married boyfriend Jack Tweed last month and was christened with her sons this month, events which both drew huge media interest here.

She has allowed magazines to cover her marriage in return for money she says will secure the future of her two sons. On Tuesday, her publishers revealed she would also be publishing a diary of her dying days. A percentage of the profits will go towards a cancer charity.

Clifford had said earlier that Goody had "put her house in order and faced up to everything in an incredibly brave way. Now we're waiting for the inevitable, it could be at any time, we just don't know." – (Sapa/AFP, March 2009)

Read more:
Big Brother star dying on camera
Goody's cancer runs rampant among SA women

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