Big Brother star Nikki Grahame is at her lowest ebb as she continues to battle anorexia, her beloved mother Sue has said.
Nikki has had the eating disorder since she was a child.
And, Sue has revealed, she’s never seen her as bad as she is now in 30 years.
Nikki has now checked herself into a specialist facility for life-saving treatment.
What did Sue say about daughter Nikki Grahame and her anorexia battle?
Speaking to the Telegraph, Sue revealed that things spiralled during lockdown.
Nikki had just finished a course on caring for children with special needs when COVID-19 struck.
Read more: Gemma Oaten supports Nikki Grahame in her anorexia battle
And Sue said this caused her daughter to feel a sense of “terminal loneliness”.
As such, her eating disorder took hold once more.
Sue revealed the last year has “just about floored her”.
She said from the first Government lockdown, it was just “hellish” for Nikki, who struggled because she couldn’t go to the gym.
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How long has Nikki had anorexia?
Sue and her ex-husband David first noticed that Nikki was becoming “thin and withdrawn” at the age of seven.
Between the ages of eight and 16 she spent more time in eating disorder units than at school or home.
Nikki was hospitalised with anorexia at the age of nine and Sue said doctors told her it was the worst case they had ever seen.
The Big Brother favourite weighed less than three stone and Sue revealed that she was frightened Nikki would die.
Read more: Rylan Clark-Neal slams trolls as he steps in to help pal Nikki Grahame
Sue said she laid in bed with her daughter at the hospital and willed her to live.
It’s your 40th next year. Come on, we’re going to plan something big. You do have things to look forward to. Let’s start again.
She said she whispered to Nikki: “Please get well. I promise you, life is going to be worth living.”
Sue believes her daughter’s anorexia was triggered by a comment made by a girl at school.
“One of the girls in her gymnastics team came up to her and said: ‘Your bum looks big in your leotard.’ From that moment she started to refuse food,” Sue said.
How did finding fame affect Nikki?
Nikki said finding out she was going into the Big Brother house was the best day of her life.
And, Sue said, Nikki had a “great time” riding the wave of her fame.
However, when things started to quieten down, the eating disorder took hold again.
Sue revealed: “Nikki said she did feel quite lost when it stopped.”
A more holistic approach
Thanks to Nikki’s kind-hearted friends and donations from fans, the star is now in a private treatment facility.
And Sue hopes it’ll offer a more holistic approach than experiences Nikki has had before, where she was fed by a tube in hospital.
Sue said she hopes her daughter will be “brave and let the help in”.
She admitted she is more hopeful this time because it’s not people “forcing you to put on weight”, adding that the clinic nurtures its patients too.
Now, 38, Sue revealed she is willing her daughter to live, just like she did all those years ago.
“I said to her: ‘It’s your 40th next year. Come on, we’re going to plan something big. You do have things to look forward to. Let’s start again.’”
If you are struggling with an eating disorder, contact BEAT on 0808 801 6077 or visit the website here for help and advice.
Head to our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and send your love to Nikki.