NIKKI Grahame's ex boyfriend Pete Bennett broke down in tears during a heartbreaking video to the late star.
Former Big Brother star Nikki died on Friday at the age of 38 after a long battle with anorexia.
Following the devastating news, Pete took to social media to pay his respects to the much-loved star.
The pair got together on the Channel 4 reality series back in 2006, which also propelled them both to fame.
Pete started the clip as he thanked everyone for their "heartwarming" support and donations.
He went on: "I thought to myself yeah we could save her, but we couldn’t. But it’s okay she’s in a good place and she’s not suffering anymore.
"So I’d just like to raise a f***ing glass, or bottle of wine more like, for Nikki Grahame."
The reality star began to sob as he continued the post.
Pete added: "All the love from us at Big Brother Seven, we really love you Nikki and you were a true winner man, you were really great, you f***ing rocked it babes. Just want to say we’ll miss you babe. See you later Nikki."
Captioning the clip, he wrote: "R.I.P Nikki. Thank you for Carly Cunningham and Leon for starting the amazing Nikki fundraiser, sadly earlier today I found out she just passed away from anorexia.
"I'm gutted, we have lost a true character, my bb7 posse feel like we’ve lost a family member, our series just wouldn’t of been the same without her!
"Even through our ups and downs we have still remained close through the years, and it was so nice to visit again recently with my girlfriend, sing Kate Bush songs and have fun like the good old days! I’m just sad that it was the last song we ever sang."
Pete concluded: "Thank you for the memories my friend , you will sorely be missed,I hope you’re not hurting anymore and finally at peace. I’ll see you in heaven Nikki. Lots of love Pete Xxx."
The post was flooded with messages of support for Pete.
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
The pair famously had a brief romance during the show.
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 said at the time: "I hated it when I realised I was falling in love with Pete Bennett. It was never meant to be. But I loved him at the time. Truly, it was special."
For help and support on eating disorders and body image, you can call Beat Eating Disorders on 0808 201 1677 for adults, or 0808 801 0711 if you are under 18.
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