Television star Kim Woodburn, best known for presenting How Clean Is Your House? and her appearance on Celebrity Big Brother, has died after a short illness, her representative has confirmed.
"It is with immense sadness that we let you know our beloved Kim Woodburn passed away yesterday following a short illness," the statement read.
"Kim was an incredibly kind, caring, charismatic and strong person. 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. We kindly ask that Kim's husband and close friends are given the time and privacy they need to grieve. We will not be releasing any further details."
Her husband said in a post on Woodburn's Instagram account: "My wonderful, beautiful, Kim passed away last night. God bless, my love."
Born Patricia Mary McKenzie in 1942 in Hampshire in the UK, Woodburn spent her early years facing hardship. She left home aged 16, later working as a live-in cleaner in Liverpool before being recommended for How Clean Is Your House? in 2002. The Channel 4 series, which she co-presented with Aggie MacKenzie from 2003 - 2009, became a cult hit for its mix of tough love and heartfelt advice.
Nicknamed the "Queen of Clean", Woodburn's blunt, no-nonsense style won her a devoted following. She later appeared on reality shows including I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! (runner-up in 2008) and Celebrity Big Brother (finishing third in 2017). She featured frequently on ITV's Loose Women and This Morning.
Woodburn was open about her partial blindness and a harrowing childhood marked by physical and sexual abuse. In her 2006 autobiography, Unbeaten, she shared the trauma of having a stillborn baby in 1966 and changing her name as a way to move forward.
She described a miserable childhood spent living between her parents, a succession of children's homes and a convent, before making an escape just before her 16th birthday.
But it also described happier times as an adult, including her "wonderfully happy marriage" and becoming Britain’s "queen of clean".
In recent years, she faced health challenges, including eye surgery, which caused her to pause personalised video messages on social media earlier this month.
Woodburn is survived by her husband of 46 years, Peter, whom she married in 1979.
