By Kiesha Dosanjh

Copyright dailyrecord

Tonight, the Big Brother house reopens to a fresh group of housemates, 25 years after the series first aired on Channel 4. Will Best and AJ Odudu return to host the ITV revival for a third consecutive year, guiding viewers through the highs, lows and drama of the iconic show. Over the 25 years, the show has aired 22 civilian series across Channel 4, Channel 5 and ITV , introducing viewers to hundreds of housemates. Many of these housemates have gone on to become household names and television icons, cementing the show’s place in pop culture. Sadly, some former contestants have passed away since their time in the Big Brother house, including Jade Goody and Nikki Grahame, the Mirror reports. Jade Goody first rose to fame on the 2002 series of Big Brother UK, gaining such popularity with the public that she returned for the 2007 Celebrity Big Brother series. Her appearance became one of the most talked about moments in reality TV history when she, Danielle Lloyd and Joanna O’Meara were accused of racially bullying co-star Shilpa Shetty, sparking widespread public outrage. In 2008, Jade took part in the Indian version of the show, Big Boss, but had to leave early after she was informed in the Diary Room that she had been diagnosed with cervical cancer. Tragically, she passed away at home in March 2009, aged 27. Her diagnosis led to a significant increase in women attending cervical screenings and raised public awareness of cervical cancer and the HPV vaccine. Regarded as one of the most memorable housemates to ever enter the Big Brother house, Nikki Grahame left a lasting mark on the Diary Room when she entered the house in 2006. She became known for her iconic lines, including “Who is she?!” and her infamous rant about the air con. Nikki also found love i the house with fellow contestant Pete Bennett. Although the couple parted ways after leaving the house, it seems the 2006 series proved itself to be lucky in love, with their housemates Grace and Micky still together today, Despite entertaining millions, Nikki sadly struggled with anorexia, experiencing a relapse during the Covid lockdowns when gyms were closed. In March of 2021, her family launched a fundraiser seeking donations to get the star professional help after she was hospitalised. Tragically, Nikki passed away in April 2021, just days after being discharged from hospital, at the age of 38. Sophia Brown entered the Big Brother house in 2009 during the tenth series but was evicted in the first week. Tragically, she passed away three years later at just 30 years old. Sophia had been diagnosed with the autoimmune disease lupus at the age of seven. She later revealed that doctors hadn’t expected her to survive when she was younger. “Due to the delay in my diagnosis, I had become too unwell for King’s College Hospital so they arranged for me to urgently be transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital – a transfer they didn’t think I’d stay alive for as my blood pressure had risen to around 280/210, they later revealed,” she wrote at the time. Following her passing, former Big Brother host Davina McCall paid tribute, as she penned: “That’s really sad. My thoughts are with her family.” Many viewers may not remember that Big Brother launched Teen Big Brother: The Experiment back in 2003 on E4 and Channel 4. The series featured 18-year-olds and was pre-recorded over ten days, airing for just one week. Paul was voted as the winner of the show, earning a trip around the world as his prize. The former housemate tragically passed away suddenly in May 2022, leaving behind his mother Bernie, his sister Michelle, brother Barry, grandfather James and extended family. Join the Daily Record’s WhatsApp community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.