'my nikki'
Nikki Grahame’s ex Pete Bennett visited the Big Brother star in her final weeks and they were ‘still cuddling’
NIKKI Grahame had a touching final moment with her Big Brother ex Pete Bennett just weeks before her tragic death.
Nikki died on Friday at the age of 38 after a long battle with anorexia and Pete had made sure to visit his former girlfriend during her final fight.
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He shared a photo of the pair warmly embracing last month, as Nikki leant on him lovingly and Pete beamed towards the camera.
The Big Brother winner captioned the post: "Pete and Nikki March 2021 ♡ visiting my nikki and still cuddling to this day :).
"Remember the fundraiser to help get her into a specialist anorexia clinic is in my bio! #savenikkig."
The pair got together on the show back in 2006, which also propelled them both to fame.
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They had a brief romance during the show and Nikki was famed about her diary room rants about newcomer Susie Verrico where she repeatedly said: “Who is she?"
Pete ended their relationship after a month but they remained on good terms, with Nikki saying on Loose Women: “I’ll always be fond of Pete.”
In June 2020, Nikki had admitted their relationship was "never meant to be" but said she had no regrets about their romance.
She had said at the time: "I hated it when I realised I was falling in love with Pete Bennett ...
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";It was never meant to be. But I loved him at the time. Truly, it was special."
The former couple remained friends with Nikki adding to Heat magazine: "He’s so impossible to get in touch with!
"We’re in touch via Instagram. He’s such a nomad."
Nikki's tragic death was announced through her GoFundme page, which had been set up by her friends in a bid to raise funds to check her into a specialist clinic.
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It read: "It is with great sadness, we have to let you know that our dear friend Nikki passed away in the early hours of Friday 9th April.
"It breaks our hearts to know that someone who is so precious was taken from us at such a young age. Nikki not only touched the lives of millions of people, but also her friends and family who will miss her immensely.
"We would like to request privacy at this difficult time, while Nikki's friends and family process the sad news.
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"Full details will be released as and when we know them."
Following the news, tributes immediately started pouring in for Nikki from her fellow Big Brother contestants, reality stars and celebrities who had met her.
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Her sad death comes after her haunting last Instagram post where she admitted she "seriously can't deal" with another lockdown.
Nikki has been open about her anorexia battle since finding fame in Big Brother back in 2006, releasing autobiography Dying To Be Thin in 2009.
She has been fighting the illness since she was a child, and was first admitted to a psychiatric hospital at the age of 12 following a suicide bid.
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At one point, Nikki had to be force fed through a nasal tube after she starved herself.
For help and support on eating disorders and body image, you can call Beat Eating Disorders on 0808 201 1677 for adults, or 0808 801 0711 if you are under 18.
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