Jade Goody was a polarising figure in the 00s; having entered the Big Brother house in 2002, she was initially hated and derided by the public for embodying the “chav” stereotype.

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She was considered “thick” for thinking “East Angular” was abroad, called “a pig” for not being especially skinny and slammed as a “slag” after she performed a sex act on a fellow housemate.

But after further details emerged about her difficult upbringing, the tide turned in Goody’s favour, as the public watched her cement herself as one of the most talked about and memorable housemates in Big Brother’s history.

Goody’s fame set a soon-to-be well-trodden path for reality TV stars, heralding in the era dominated by tabloid excess, trolling and the notion of fame for fame’s sake.

The upcoming documentary looks at Goody’s sudden rise to fame and equally as fast fall 10 years after she died following a battle with cervical cancer.

When is Jade: The Reality Star Who Changed Britain on TV?

The first of the three-part doc airs Wednesday 7th August on Channel 4 at 9pm, and continues weekly.

Who features in Jade: The Reality Star Who Changed Britain on TV?

The talking-heads documentary will feature a series of tabloid journalists who followed Goody’s path to stardom, facilitated a way for her to amass her fortune and wrote about the 2007 racism scandal when she returned to Celebrity Big Brother and fell out with Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty.

Jade Goody (Channel 4)

Executive producers from Channel 4, who worked on Big Brother and Celebrity Big Brother in its heyday, also discuss why they originally selected Goody for the house, and discuss how they felt when they watched Goody break down after the racism scandal. Dermot O’Leary and Davina McCall are also on hand to offer their opinion.

McCall admitted she “felt awful” interviewing Goody after she left the house for the second time.

“I remember thinking 'Oh my God what’s happened?' How it can all turn in a nano second,” she said.

"She’s now become the most hated girl in Britain. It was a bit like knowing you’re about to ruin someone’s life forever, but they don’t know it yet.”

Goody’s mother Jackiey Budden also lifts the lid on her daughter’s difficult formative years, while ex-partners Jeff Brazier and Jack Tweed all reflect on life with Goody in the spotlight.

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Jade: The Reality Star Who Changed Britain airs Wednesday at 9pm on Channel 4

Authors

Kimberley BondEntertainment Correspondent, RadioTimes.com
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