Born as Jade Cerisa Lorraine Goody on June 5, 1981, her mother Jackiey Budden raised her as a single parent after her father left them when she was just two years old.

Goody had openly spoken about her troubled childhood and her struggle to get an education saying that her poverty-ridden early days prompted her to secure a better future to her two sons, Bobby and Freddy, from a relationship with television presenter Jeff Brazier.

Goody worked as a dental nurse before gaining popularity by appearing on the Channel 4 reality show Big Brother in 2002. Though she was ridiculed by the media for being ignorant, the star maintained a steady popularity and finished fourth in the show.

Goody maintained her fame by starring in many other reality shows, featuring in gossip columns and women magazines and launching new products while other Big Brother contestants were soon forgotten by the public.

In the process, she went on to win millions. She also published her autobiography in 2006 titled Jade: My Autobiography and launched her own fragrance Shh...Jade Goody.

In the picture: A bear and note are left outside Goody's residence in Essex, southern England.

Text: PTI | Photographs: Stephen Hird/Reuters