Big Brother fans have raised more than £40,000 for crucial anorexia treatment for former contestant Nikki Grahame.
Donations flooded in after TV presenter – and former Celebrity Big Brother winner – Rylan Clark-Neal shared a GoFundMe page set-up for Nikki to his 1.6million Twitter followers.
Nikki’s friends were asking for £25,000 for the vital treatment – and thanks to Rylan’s help, the target was quickly surpassed.
The GoFundPage had attracted 3.1k donors at the time of writing and had been shared 3.8k times, with £50,000 the target.
The page shows harrowing images of a fragile-looking Nikki, 38, who was a contestant on the seventh series of Big Brother in 2006.
Nikki later went on to star in her own reality series called Princess Nikki, but in recent years has suffered dramatic weight loss as she battles her illness.
Celebrities including Rylan, Vanezza Feltz and Michelle Visage all donated £500 to the cause, with many other fans digging deep in their pockets for the specialist treatment.
Former Big Brother contestant Nikki Grahame is battling anorexia (Image: Getty Images)
A rep told Daily Star Online: “It is with sadness that we can confirm Nikki’s battle with anorexia has worsened in recent months and those closest to her are doing everything they can to assist with her recuperation, most notably in the form of a go fund me page.
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“We are confident Nikki will be able to make a full recovery and she would personally like to thank everyone for their kind words, wishes and donations today and beyond.”
Nikki has struggled with anorexia since she was eight-year-old (Image: PA)
A statement on the GoFundPage confirmed: “Nikki is now in a very bad way, so we need to do something quickly.
“We are praying this [treatment] gives her the chance of kicking this illness to the curb once and for all.”
Nikki has battled anorexia since she was eight-years-old. She shrunk to a dangerous weight after cruelly being labelled fat by fellow school pupils.
Nikki was famous for her temper tantrums on Big Brother (Image: Channel 4)
Her grandfather’s death and her parents’ separation are also reported to be contributing factors to her troubles with the eating disorder.
She has since been in seven different institutions to help her battle the illness and was once sedated for a fortnight after doctors sewed a tube into her stomach to make sure she could feed properly.
If you’re worried about your health or the health of somebody else, you can contact SEED eating disorder support service on 01482 718130 or on their website, https://seedeatingdisorders.org.uk.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
