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Jade in her own words

Devoted mum and wife, reality star and, tragically, a victim of cervical cancer who raised the disease’s profile immeasurably – Jade Goody did so much. We take a look at her life, in her own words.

Jade goody was a ditzy 21 year old when she shot to fame on Big Brother in 2002. Leaving the house, the dental nurse from Bermondsey said she wanted to be remembered “as the person who let everyone see every single side of her and they either liked her or they didn’t.”

And her antics in the BB house certainly ensured that was the case.

She thought “East Angular” was abroad and when the other housemates talked about Brazilian city Rio de Janeiro, she piped up: “Ain’t that a person?”

In her autobiography, Jade recalled her first interview with Davina. She wrote: “They showed me a clip of all these things I’d said in the house like ‘tacticals,’ ‘Portuganese,’ ‘an escape goat,’ ‘wirelephones’ and ‘Tunisia being near India.’ And talking about ‘East Angular’ – which I still didn’t know was wrong until I found out later.

“I just thought, ‘You’re such a nugget, Jade. What were you doing?’”

Despite her fame and fortune, Jade always said her proudest achievement was being a mum to her two boys, Bobby, five, and Freddy, four.

After becoming a mum, by TV presenter Jeff Brazier, for the first time in 2003, she described it as: “The strangest thing – all of a sudden I was handed this little human being.

“Bobby’s such a beautiful boy, I love being his mum so much.”

The following year she had son Freddy and announced: “My boys are the most important and precious things in my life.”

Jade’s devotion to her sons was obvious and, as a protective mother, she always made sure they had the best things in life.

Despite gruelling chemo at Christmas, she played the Wicked Queen in the panto of Snow White in Lincoln to raise money for their future, although she was unable to complete the two-month run as her health deteriorated.

And during her final few weeks, and despite her agonising pain, Jade bravely secured a series of lucrative magazine interviews in order to ensure her beloved sons would be looked after.

She said she hoped they’d grow up into good people, saying: “I just hope they’re sensible, stick at school and get a good job. I don’t care what they do as long as they have a roof over their heads and keep out of trouble, and most  of all be happy.”

Jade expressed her wish that Jeff get full custody of the kids, saying: “Their dad Jeff will make sure they’re well looked after. He’s a good dad and the boys love him.”

But she also wanted her mum Jackiey Budden and husband Jack Tweed to have an active role in their upbringing.

She said: “Jeff has been brilliant and I know they’ll always have my mum and Jack and their godparents as well to make sure they’re OK.”

And in the hope of remaining close to her children after her death, Jade had the boys and herself christened.

She said: “I’d always wanted the boys christened, but have never got round to it. Now it feels even more important.

It’s a way of feeling closer to Bobby and Freddy when I’m gone.”

She added: “I have always believed in God and heaven, and I want my boys to know that when I do go, I am safe and looking over them. I want them to know that when you do die, you don’t just stop living, that you end up living somewhere else.”

But as she struggled to come to terms with leaving behind her “lovely little men,” she cried: “I’m devastated I won’t see my boys grow into men and get married. That’s what mums always dream of, isn’t it?”

Jade proved she was nobody’s fool after she became the highest-earning Big Brother contestant.

She owned two beauty salons, one called Ugly’s, made millions from her exclusive magazine deals and bought a house worth £700,000.

Last year, she even said: “I am very organised, contrary to public opinion. I’d probably surprise people with quite how good a businesswoman I am too.”

Jade launched perfume Shh… in 2006, which was Superdrug’s biggest-selling scent at one point, and she launched a second fragrance, aptly named Controversial, in 2008.

And even after being diagnosed with cancer, Jade was determined to secure the future of her  beloved sons Bobby Jack and Freddy.

She said: “When I first knew I had cancer, I worked out a strategy.

“I thought, if I earn enough while I’m sick there will be enough for them to go to private school until they are 16.

“What’s the point of everything I have if I can’t do that for them?”

CLICK HERE FOR MORE OF JADE IN HER OWN WORDS

By battling cervical cancer so publicly, brave Jade encouraged thousands of
women to have cervical smears - meaning numerous lives could be saved. If
your life has been saved by the "Jade effect" contact Closer on 0207 859
8455.