[James]

22 May 2006

EXCLUSIVE: 'BIG BROTHER PAL NIKKI IS ANOREXIC'

Anorexic pal: Nikki 'tried to kill herself'

By Stewart Maclean

WANNABE glamour model Nikki Grahame is an unstable anorexic who could kill herself under stress of life in the house, a friend claimed yesterday.

Kyla Padwick, 25, last night blasted Channel 4 bosses for allegedly failing to check Nikki's mental health before letting her join Big Brother 7.

She claimed: "Nikki is such a vulnerable girl. She's battled anorexia since she was about 15. She really can't cope with any stress at all.

"I'm watching my friend crack up on screen and I'm so angry with the people who are letting that happen.

"Nikki could come out of that house and regress into being really sick again or even kill herself."

Kyla's warning comes after shocked viewers saw Nikki "crack up" in the diary room after being told she could not have bottled mineral water to drink.

The tearful blonde, who walked into the house on Friday wearing a pink bunny outfit, pleaded with producers: "I'm dehydrated, I feel light-headed and I feel like I might die. I need bottled water."

Yesterday Kyla - who met Nikki eight years ago at a place where she was also being treated for anorexia - said Nikki's refusal to drink tap water was a sign her friend had not beat the eating disorder.

She said: "Lots of anorexics have trouble with tap water, there's the assumption that it contains impurities and might make them fatter.

"Looking at Nikki the stress of Big Brother could kill her, particularly when she leaves the house and will have everyone judging her."

Kyla alleged: "When I first met Nikki she weighed about four stone and was one of the worst cases I'd seen in that clinic.

"We thought she hadn't been through puberty because she looked like a seven year old, even though she was 15 or 16."

Kyla, who has since recovered from her own anorexia and now works as a carer in Slough, Berks, claimed: "Even now she still obsessively weighs her food and exercises compulsively because she's terrified of gaining weight."

Nikki from Watford, Herts, reportedly spent more than a year in a specialist clinic from 16 before being transferred to a second clinic for more treatment.

Friends claimed she tried to kill herself several times.

Yesterday Nikki admitted to housemates that she had no enamel left on her teeth - a common symptom of people who have had severe eating disorders - but did not say she had any alleged health issues.

Eating disorder expert Daniela Osu said: "Anorexia is one of the most severe eating disorders and only a tiny percentage of people recover from it completely.

"The problem with going into the Big Brother house is that people have to leave their support network, which is the thing that in most cases stops them regressing into illness."

A Big Brother spokesman said all housemates had extensive psychological vetting before being selected.

She added: "Nikki will have spoken at considerable length to a psychologist and I'm sure they will have covered any issues that might bother her.

"The Big Brother house can be a stressful environment but the housemates are monitored all the time and there is a psychologist on hand 24 hours a day to deal with any problems."

Big Brother producers have come under fire after previous contestants had mental health problems.

Makosi Mumbasi admitted becoming a prostitute after failing to find the fame she wanted from BB6.

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