All Football
BIG Brother star Nikki Grahame died at the age of 38 after a long battle with anorexia, on April 9, 2021.
Her 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.
Who is Nikki Grahame's ex-boyfriend Pete Bennett?
Pete Bennett was born in March 1982 in London.
He became known after winning the seventh series of the Channel 4 reality series Big Brother in 2006.
Pete, who has Tourette's syndrome, won over the hearts of the nation when he entered the house.
He went on to win the hefty £100,000 prize fund, which he recently admitted went on "bailiffs, the tax man, drugs".
Pete has been open about his drug addiction in the past, and in 2015 he decided to broadcast his struggles on Jeremy Kyle.
Fifteen years after the show, Pete has now swapped his quirky style for a sophisticated new look.
How long were Nikki Grahame and Pete Bennett dating?
The pair got together on the show back in 2006.
The pair 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 ...
Helplines on eating disorders and body image
For help and support on eating disorders and body image, you can call Beat Eating Disorders.
Their adult helpline is 0808 201 1677. The youth helpline is on 0808 801 0711
"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."
You're Not Alone
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide.
It doesn't discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society - from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It's the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it's rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun launched the You're Not Alone campaign.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let's all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others... You're Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
- CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
- Heads Together, www.headstogether.org.uk
- Mind, www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393
- Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
- Samaritans, www.samaritans.org, 116 123
- Movember, www.uk.movember.com
- Anxiety UK www.anxietyuk.org.uk, 03444 775 774 Monday-Friday 9.30am-10pm, Saturday/Sunday 10am-8pm
