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The Irish Sun

My years with fierce Kim Woodburn felt like walking a tightrope… but she's one of the bravest people I know, says Aggie

IT'S hard to believe Kim Woodburn is gone. She died yesterday, aged 83, after a short illness — and though we hadn't spoken for years, it's still shocking to know that she's no longer alive. We had one of the strangest, most intense working relationships I've ever known. For six years, from 2003 to 2009, we shared the screen on — scrubbing, scouring and sparring our way into the nation's living rooms. 13 Aggie MacKenzie and Kim Woodburn were an iconic cleaning duo Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd 13 The pair gained fame for the show How Clean is Your House? Credit: Alamy 13 Kim and Aggie pose for their Channel 4 show in 2009 Credit: Handout 13 Aggie Mackenzie and Kim Woodburn during 2005/2006 Lifetime Television UpFront at Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City Credit: Getty We bickered like an old married couple, and plenty of it was real. But I also respected her. And understood, perhaps more than most, what she'd come through just to be standing. The public saw the bouffant hair, the frosty stare, the withering one-liners — 'scrub, don't tickle' became a national catchphrase. But behind all that was a woman carrying an enormous amount of pain. She was born into violence. Her childhood, as she later described in her autobiography, was Read more At 16, she left home for good. She had no safety net, no one to catch her. She cleaned houses to survive, slept on floors, endured even more suffering. And she kept it all in for decades. How This is the last picture of Her husband Peter is Kim's Her death comes weeks after cancelling work commitments due to health concerns Kim gave reality TV fans an iconic moment with her legendary Inside Kim's Where is co-star How brave When she finally spoke out — on TV, and later in print — it was one of the bravest things I've ever seen. But just because you speak your truth doesn't mean the pain disappears. Most read in TV There were moments — even on set — when I'd catch a glimpse of that frightened, furious young toddler whose needs had never been met. She had Still, what we did together was extraordinary. was a surprise hit. People tuned in for the dirt, sure, but they stayed for us — this strange pairing of two middle-aged fairy godmothers elbow-deep in filth, with rubber gloves and very different energies. I was methodical, she was theatrical. I'd explain the science of mould, she'd tell a grown man he was living like a pig. But it worked And more than that, it mattered. We helped people — not just the families on-screen, but the viewers at home who felt overwhelmed by life, by mess, by depression. Kim had a real instinct for those people. She might shout or scold, but she never judged. She knew what rock bottom looked like. 13 The cleaning duo seen with feather dusters Credit: Channel 4 13 Kim Woodburn and Aggie McKenzie, arriving at the Women in Film and Television Awards ceremony at the Hilton Hotel, London, in 2009 Credit: Times Newspapers Ltd 13 The nation's ultimate grime-busting duo, Kim Woodburn and Aggie Mackenzie Credit: Channel 4 13 Kim managed to get Britain scrubbing and organising their homes That empathy came from experience. Kim had known what it meant to be homeless, powerless, voiceless. She built herself back up, bit by bit, often with nobody cheering her on. That takes guts. Of course, it wasn't all sunshine. We clashed, often. There were days filming together that felt like walking a tightrope. And by the later series, I'll be honest — our relationship had almost completely broken down. We barely spoke off camera. And over time, the anger faded. What Kim wasn't easy. But she was real. And in this business, that's rare. In the years after our show ended, she stayed in the public eye — I'm a Celeb , Big Brother , panel shows, even Cameo videos for fans. She always made an impact. But I sometimes wondered if it gave her peace. I'm not sure she ever truly found that, this side of life. I hope she has now. I really do. Because for all her sharp edges, she could be kind in ways no one ever saw — sending private messages of support to people who'd suffered abuse, calling out injustice long before it was fashionable. There's a line I keep coming back to, from her own mouth: 'I survived because I had to.' That sums her up. Rest easy, my old sparring partner. You were fierce, complicated, maddening — and I hope wherever you are now, it's spotless. And peaceful. 13 Aggie Mackenzie and Kim Woodburn pictured in 2004 Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 13 How Clean is Your House got Brits scrubbing their homes Credit: Channel 4 13 Kim & Aggie seen in cleaning gear for their iconic show Credit: Eyevine 13 Kim Woodburn was the original Cleaning Queen Credit: Rex 13 TV's iconic cleaning Queens Credit: Handout