Jade Goody documentary to mark 10 years since reality TV star’s death

A series exploring the life and times of Big Brother star Jade Goody has been commissioned by Channel 4.

The programme will mark ten years since her death from cancer at the age of 27 in March 2009.

Goody found overnight fame when she appeared on the third series of the reality show in 2002, before returning to the house to take part in Celebrity Big Brother in 2007.

During that series of the show, she was accused of racially bullying Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty and in August 2008 she appeared on the Indian version of Big Brother, Bigg Boss, to try to rehabilitate her image.

She left the show early and returned to the UK after she learned she had cervical cancer. Her funeral was a major televised event featuring a 21-car cortege.

The three hour-long films will examine the popularity of the reality star to tell a bigger story of social and cultural change in Britain.

It will feature exclusive interviews and never-before-seen footage to look at the rise of celebrity culture and social media as well as the battlegrounds of class, race and sexual politics.

The series will be directed by award-winning film-maker Rob Coldstream, who is responsible for The Rise and Fall of Tony Blair and Last Days of Anne Boleyn.

Coldstream said: “Jade was a hugely charismatic personality. She made an indelible impact on our culture – and her incredible life story holds up a mirror to many of the big themes and preoccupations of our time – from fame and celebrity to race and gender politics.”

Alisa Pomeroy, commissioning editor of documentaries at Channel 4, added: “Jade is a figure who couldn’t have existed at any other moment in history.

“Her story is the story of the noughties and I’m very excited about what will essentially be a popular history series, told through the prism of an electric, much-loved personality.”

The series is due to be transmitted on Channel 4 in 2019.