’s mum has opened up about how much her National Television Award win meant to her, while speaking in a new Channel 4 documentary about the late star.
In April last year, Nikki after suffering from anorexia for the majority of her life.
She found fame in 2006 when she starred on the , finishing in fifth place and becoming ever to step foot on the reality show.
Tonight, a is airing on Channel 4, which will explore Nikki’s life from her early childhood and the way her career developed after stepping into the spotlight.
At one point in the programme, her mum, Sue Grahame, recalled when Nikki won the NTA for most popular TV contender, having been nominated alongside Pete Bennett for Big Brother, Chantelle Houghton for Celebrity Big Brother, Carol Thatcher for I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! and Richard Fleeshman for Soapstar Superstar.
The clip from the awards ceremony showed Nikki sitting behind Davina McCall and Pete in the audience, reacting with utter shock as her name was announced.
‘My god, is this a joke or something? I’m absolutely chuffed. I can’t believe it, I’m shaking,’ she said in her acceptance speech.
‘Thank you so much everyone that voted for me. I’ve just had the time of my life ever since everything you’ve given me, and I just want to thank everybody and my mum’s been great. God, all of you. Thank you so much! I just so didn’t expect this.’
‘It was the happiest day of her life. I have never seen her more proud and happy as I did that night,’ after footage from the night showed Nikki being photographed with her award.
Sue explained in the documentary that she’d been finding it hard going through Nikki’s belongings in her flat.
She took out the emerald dress that her daughter wore to the NTAs from the wardrobe, describing it as ‘beautiful’ before noting that it was a ‘bit stained’.
‘It wouldn’t be Nikki’s dress if it didn’t have stains on it,’ she remarked.
Sue said that when she stays in Nikki’s flat, she sleeps on the side of her bed closest to the wardrobe, cuddling her Pingu toy, which the late reality star was holding when she died.
‘I cuddle him every night now because it brings me a little bit closer to Nikki,’ she said.
She also hangs Nikki’s NTAs dress on the front door of the wardrobe, so that she can have ‘one last look at it’, when she goes to sleep.
‘When I wake up, there it is. It is so special to me,’ she added.
Nikki Grahame: Who Is She? airs tonight at 9pm on Channel 4.
BEAT
If you suspect you, a family member or friend has an eating disorder, contact Beat on 0808 801 0677 or at [email protected], for information and advice on the best way to get appropriate treatment
