Nikki Grahame's mum has opened up on her daughter's death, explaining how using a cross trainer in lockdown made her anorexia worse.
Nikki, who had been battling anorexia from an early age, died alone at home in April 2021 at the age of 38.
And her mum Sue believes the Covid-19 lockdown had a major part to play in her death, while also speaking about Nikki's obsession with a cross trainer she had at home.
Speaking on Dan Wootton Tonight, Sue said: "This machine helped her to deteriorate. Lockdown came at the worst possible time for her.
"Just before the lockdown illness had started to take its toll on her body and she just started to collapse.
"When lockdown came she said to me on the first day i don't know how I'm going to get through this said you won't be alone and lets go through it together as we can. The whole nation was suffering, but i knew with Nikki it was a different story.
Sue Grahame spoke out on her daughters death
GB News
Nikki Grahame died in April 2021
Victoria Jones
"I think she wanted the cross trainer to be with her, it's a monster.
"She knew the writing was on the wall in order for her to allow herself to eat, she had to know she'd go to the gym she'd do weights, then she could come home and eat.
"As soon as their gym shut, she cut the calories back, she started to eat less and less because she couldn't exercise enough before lockdown and then lockdown started she decided she was going to go to college and get her English and maths GCSE because she missed out on so much education, she just wanted to be like everyone else."
Sue added how Nikki qualified to become a teaching assistant but she only received the news after the death of her daughter.
She added: "She kept herself busy but when lockdown came a lot of it was done on Zoom.
"She passed her teaching assistant exam but she died so she never knew it's possible [lockdown contributed to her death], it would have been easier for us to get her into a unit of a hospital that knew how to deal with anorexia because unfortunately not many people do."
Paying tribute to her brave daughter and Big Brother star, Sue described Nikki as the bravest person she has ever known.
"She was my hero, i don't think i've ever come across anybody more brave than that little girl. A lot of people were shocked because they had no idea what shed gone through because she never was a victim, she never said id had a horrible life.
"Look at mental health eating disorders anorexia, over eaters and generally people with mental health issues they don't know where to go."
