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British RealityTV Star Dies

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The Associated Press

Published: March 23, 2009

LONDON - Jade Goody, a dental assistant turned reality-TV star whose whirlwind journey from poverty to celebrity to tragedy became a national soap opera in Britain, died of cervical cancer Sunday at age 27.

Goody shot to fame in 2002 when she joined the reality television show "Big Brother," in which contestants live together for weeks and are constantly filmed. Loud and brash, she became a highly divisive star - initially mocked as an ignorant slob, then celebrated as a forthright everywoman by a hungry tabloid press.

It was a pattern of praise and condemnation that followed Goody for the rest of her life. She became a national touchstone who sparked debate about race, class and celebrity.

During filming of a celebrity version of "Big Brother" last summer, Goody received a diagnosis of cervical cancer by telephone from a doctor in Britain. The camera captured the deeply personal moment, which was shown repeatedly on TV.

The progress of her illness was chronicled in detail in the tabloid press and weekly magazines, to the unease of many. She underwent surgery and chemotherapy in the public eye - filming part of the experience for another television series

Bald and frail, Goody married fiance Jack Tweed last month in an elaborate event staged at an elegant countryside hotel outside London. Goody, who reportedly sold the photos for more than $1 million, defended being paid for interviews and photo shoots.

"People will say I'm doing this for money," she said. "And they're right, I am. But not to buy flash cars or big houses - it's for my sons' future if I'm not here."

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