Jade documentary horrifies viewers with cruel story of cancer discovery

Photo credit: Channel 4
Photo credit: Channel 4

From Digital Spy

Many of those watching the Jade Goody documentary The Reality Star Who Changed Britain have discovered the shocking way she learned about her terminal cancer diagnosis for the first time.

The three-part Channel 4 series has reflected on the life and influence of the Big Brother contestant who redefined what it meant to be a reality star, both in positive and negative ways.

In previous weeks, the show has looked at Jade's incredible ability to parlay her success on Big Brother into a successful brand and later her image crumbling in the fallout of the Celebrity Big Brother race row.

This week's final instalment picked up with Jade at her lowest ebb, huddled away from the spotlight as the tabloids barraged her over her feud with CBB housemate Shilpa Shetty.

Photo credit: Shutterstock
Photo credit: Shutterstock

To rehab her image, Jade signed with celebrity PR agent Max Clifford and agreed to join Shilpa on the Indian version of Big Brother.

"That Shilpa Shetty, that's a good idea, is it? Going to India on your own?" Jackiey remembered thinking. "Jade was up for it, big time."

Shortly into her time in the house, Jade was called into the Diary Room with news from her doctor in London that she'd been diagnosed with cervical cancer.

"I was very mad. I told the production: no camera, no sound," her handler remembered.

Many viewers were totally unaware that this was the way Jade learned of her diagnosis:

(Note: NSFW tweets)

Jade tried to carry on her life with a series of media appearances and even a reality show documenting her cancer treatments.

All the while, a News of the World reporter admitted in the film her illness boosted Jade's profile again, going as far as to confess that Max Clifford initiated a bidding war for the first picture of her bald.

In her final days, Jade married her boyfriend Jack Tweed on February 22, 2009 and was baptised along with her sons. Exactly one month later, Jade passed away at age 27 with her husband and mother by her side.

"What an enormous impact on British society she made in such a short life," Big Brother presenterDavina McCall remembered in the film.

Jade might be gone, but her legacy lives on in inspiring thousands of women in the UK to get screenings for cervical cancer.

Photo credit: Stuart C. Wilson - Getty Images
Photo credit: Stuart C. Wilson - Getty Images

She will always be remembered:

All three episodes of Jade - The Reality Star Who Changed Britain will be available on Channel 4's Catch Up service.


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