FACTBOX - Who was Jade Goody?

(Reuters) - Reality television star Jade Goody, whose losing battle with cervical cancer was chronicled as closely by the media as her controversial exploits on hit show Big Brother, died on Sunday, her mother said.

Here are some facts about Goody:

* LIFE AND BIG BROTHER:

-- Goody was born in London in June 1981.

-- She was a dental assistant before appearing on reality TV programme "Big Brother" in 2002.

-- Initially ridiculed by the media for her lack of general knowledge and criticised for her behaviour to fellow competitors, her straight-talking style won over the tabloid press and she became the hit show's best-known participant.

-- She was a regular on reality television shows and in celebrity gossip magazines, published an autobiography in 2006 and launched her own perfume. By 2007 she was widely reported to have a fortune of several million pounds.

-- In 2007, she took part in Celebrity Big Brother along with her mother, Jackiey Budden, and boyfriend Jack Tweed.

-- Her racially tinged tirade against Bollywood film star Shilpa Shetty led to nationwide vilification and even more fame. She was voted off the programme.