Goody, Jade

Jade Goody (1981-2009) was born in Bermondsey, southeast London. Rising to fame through her appearance in Big Brother, she became the United Kingdom's most successful and most controversial reality television star.

Goody first appeared on television in the third season of U.K. reality television show Big Brother. She attracted a strong negative reaction in the media, being commonly compared to a pig. She was criticized for stripping and for providing the show's first sexual activity, performing oral sex on fellow contestant P. J., concealed under a duvet. Goody was also widely viewed as ignorant, following comments that she thought Cambridge was in London and that East Anglia, which she pronounced as “East Angular,” was “abroad.” Despite this, she finished fourth and went [Page 634]on to become the most financially successful of all the show's 172 contestants (over 10 seasons).

Following Big Brother, Goody stopped working as a dental nurse and became a professional celebrity. She featured regularly in gossip magazines, published an autobiography, launched a perfume, and appeared frequently on television, including starring in three reality television series: Jade's Salon, Just Jade, and Jade's PA. Her media career focused on behind-the-scenes looks at her career and family, blurring conventional distinctions between public and private life. For example, she and partner, Jeff Brazier, appeared on Celebrity Wife Swap. Goody and Brazier had two children together (in 2003 and 2004) and later separated.

In 2007, Goody appeared on the fifth U.K. season of Celebrity Big Brother with her mother, Jackiey Budden, and boyfriend, Jack Tweed. She attracted media attention globally for her (and fellow contestants Tweed, Danielle Lloyd, and Jo O'Meera's) arguments and name-calling directed toward Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty. Controversy, particularly in the United Kingdom and India, sparked over whether Goody's actions constituted racism and/or bullying. Later commentary also discussed the role of class prejudice within the public reaction. After being evicted from the show in a public vote, Goody continued to attract negative media coverage, and her perfume was temporarily withdrawn from sale. She apologized publicly and repeatedly for her behavior and visited India. She gradually returned to celebrity work and, in 2008, appeared in the Indian Celebrity Big Brother, Bigg Boss, hosted by Shetty.

On her third day of appearing on Bigg Boss, Goody received the news that she had cervical cancer and returned to the United Kingdom for treatment. Although her cancer was in an advanced state and was terminal, she continued working. She starred in a number of reality television programs charting her illness, sold the rights to her wedding with Jack Tweed, and published further autobiographical books. This and other work both secured her sons’ financial security and changed the United Kingdom's attitudes to cervical cancer. Following the news that Goody's cancer was terminal, there was a surge in requests from women in the United Kingdom, particularly younger women, for cervical cancer screening-reversing a long decline. Government health ministers reviewed their policy of not offering screening for cervical cancer until the age of 25 years in England. Overall, the publicity around her illness, particularly the photographs of her after losing her hair as a result of chemotherapy, altered the way that cancer is seen.

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