NIKKI Grahame’s mum Sue left Loose Women viewers heartbroken as she opened up about the reality of her daughter’s illness.
Big Brother legend Nikki passed away in April last year after a lifelong battle with anorexia.
Sue appeared on Loose Women on Thursday ahead of a Channel 4 documentary about Nikki.
Confessing that Nikki’s eating disorder “robbed her” of the chance to be a mum to her, Sue said: “I didn’t raise her, she disappeared at eight and I kind of got her back full time when she was 18.”
Sue also revealed some of her daughter’s plans if she managed to recover from the illness.
“Before she died she said ‘when I get well, I’m going to, in my spare time, go around to schools to talk to youngsters, to teenagers, to say don’t do this.
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“‘There’s no guarantees, it won’t make you popular, it won’t make you happy, it will just rob you of your life’.”
Viewers took to Twitter after Sue’s interview to praise her for her honesty.
One wrote: “Nikki Grahame’s mum is lovely. One of the realest heartfelt interviews I’ve seen on this show.”
Another said: “What a lovely funny lady Nikki was and her mum is lovely too! She sounds very much like Nikki. My heart goes out to Sue what a brave lady.”
And a third added: “So heartbreaking listening to Nikki’s mum on loose women. Sending so much love to Nikki’s family.”
Speaking on Channel 4’s Nikki Grahame: Who Is She? – which airs tonight – tearful Sue reveals she still stays over at Nikki’s barely-touched flat, sleeping in her bedroom to feel close to her daughter.
“I cuddle Pingu every night now, because it brings me a bit closer to Nikki,” she says.
Sue revealed the reality star had a Body Mass Index (BMI) of nine when she died, with a healthy BMI for a woman considered to be between 18.5 and 25.
