Inside Kim Woodburn's lifelong health battle with TV icon off air for months before tragic death aged 83

The Sun

18 hours ago

TV favourite Kim Woodburn endured a number of troublesome health issues before her tragic death at the age of 83.
The star of Channel 4 's hit series How Clean is Your House, died yesterday after a short illness after dealing with constant eye problems among other health issues throughout her life.
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Kim first became a household name after appearing on the cleaning show alongside Aggie MacKenzie.
She has since been a contestant on Celebrity Big Brother, where she gave reality TV fans one of the most iconic moments in the shows history with her legendary row.
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Her health issues began when she was a child, being born blind in one eye and with only limited sight in the other.
She described her childhood as "very hard", with a mother who "didn't really care very much", which she said prevented her getting the care she needed for her condition, she told The Mirror in 2016.
Kim dealt with her condition, known as Strabismus, throughout her life, being dubbed "Squniteye" by her schoolmates and having to wear glasses in any TV show that required her to read lines.
She recently went under the knife for surgery on her eye, and a post on her Instagram said she was unable to record videos for the "foreseeable future" due to the health issue.
Back in 2011, Kim came clean about her blindness, explaining that it caused her to squint frequently and never hold prolonged eye contact with people.
Her last video was posted on Valentine's Day. She said cheerfully: "Hello my loves!
"I hope you are all okay and keeping well."
A representative for Kim said: "It is with immense sadness that we let you know our beloved Kim Woodburn passed away yesterday following a short illness.
"Kim was an incredibly kind, caring, charismatic and strong person.
'I hope you're ok… and keeping well' Kim Woodburn's touching last video on Valentines Day - months before death aged 83
"Her husband, Peter, is heartbroken at the loss of his soulmate.
"We are so proud of the amazing things Kim achieved in her life and career."
In 2017 Kim revealed how she had been sexually abused by her dad from a young age.
She subsequently moved to Liverpool where she became a live-in cleaner.
In 2002, while working in similar role in Kent, Channel 4 reached out to a cleaning company seeking a cleaner with a "funny temperament" and she was recommended.
Following a screen test, she was paired with Aggie MacKenzie and filming for the now iconic show began just weeks later.
Kim experienced health problems later in life, developing alopecia in her middle age.
She told the Mirror: "For nearly 40 years, on and off, I've also suffered from alopecia where you get specific patches of ­baldness on the scalp. No one knows what causes it – it just comes and goes.
"But a couple of years ago, after a huge bald patch, maybe a couple of inches in diameter, had developed on the nape of my neck/back of my head, I had to talk to the doctor about it.
"If I didn't have long hair, I wouldn't have been able to hide it and I wouldn't have left the house, it was so bad."
Kim reported that taking vitamin B12 on the advice of her doctor had helped to control the condition, leading her to speculate whether she had always suffered from this deficiency.
The TV personality also appeared on Famous, Rich and Homeless in 2015, where she slept on the street for the entertainment of viewers.
She reported that this may have had an adverse affect on her health, taking "three weeks to recover" from spending five nights sleeping rough.
"I was frozen to the marrow. I got so cold and disheartened by what I saw. But we raised over £400,000 for Sport Relief so it was well worth it", she told the Mirror.
Adding to her hair problems, Kim also revealed that she had an underactive thyroid diagnosed when she was in her fifties.
This meant she often became very tired and hot, and she took regular medication for the issue.
The NHS states that an underactive thyroid can lead to serious problems, including heart disease and heart failure.
Kim had cancelled her work in the weeks leading up to her passing, sighting health concerns.
Kim had been offering personal video greetings to her loyal followers for £25 a pop after also selling clips on the Cameo platform.
But earlier this month she told her social media followers: "No more videos for now, my loves, I need to get better!"
A post on her Instagram account read: "We regret to tell you that Kim is unable to record any further videos for the foreseeable future, due to a health problem.
"Kim sends her love to you all."
Tributes have today flooded in for the reality TV star, calling her an "icon" and a "diva".