A tragic diagnosis, captured on camera.
Collapsing at a bar and falling into a coma. An ironic prediction of a cast member's death.
Let's remember some of the houseguests from "Big Brother" who are no longer with us.
Cassandra Waldon was the first houseguest to walk
into the U.S. version of the "Big Brother" house in 2000.
"I needed something exciting in my life. I've got to try this! I've got to see if I can do it."
Waldon was nominated for eviction, along with Curtis Kin and Eddie McGee,
during the tenth week, with the voting results leading to her banishment.
In 2019, Deadline reported that the former "Big Brother" competitor had passed away at the age
of 56. According to the outlet, Waldon was hit by a passing car in Rome, Italy. She sustained head
injuries that eventually led to her death. Waldon was in Rome working for the United
Nations as the Director of Communications at the International Fund for Agricultural Development.
"Big Brother" host Julie Chen wrote a heartfelt Instagram post in memory of
the former houseguest. Chen spoke warmly of the "class and grace" reflected in Waldon's life,
also sending her best wishes to her family. Chen finished by saying,
"Thank you for bringing your intelligence, warmth and wisdom to the Big Brother house Season 1.
You are in my thoughts and in my prayers. May God Bless your soul."
Kent Blackwelder appeared on the second season of the U.S. version of "Big Brother."
He became known for his close friendship with his openly gay housemate, Bunky Miller,
despite Blackwelder's admitted homophobia. In a unanimous vote,
the Tennessee native was evicted during the fifth week.
In 2017, Inquisitr reported that Blackwelder had passed away at the age of 62 from a heart attack.
His daughter, Maddy Blackwelder, confirmed the news on social media,
stating that her father had a "heart of gold," and calling him "the most
interesting and funny man in the world." She ended her message by saying,
"I will love you and miss you forever daddio."
Blackwelder's "Big Brother" pal Miller wrote a heartfelt Facebook post in which he recalled
positive experiences during visits to see Blackwelder and his family, adding that he
didn't realize the last time he saw his friend would be their final interaction. Robyn Kass,
the casting director of "Big Brother," also responded to the news on Twitter,
stating that she was "sending love to the Blackwelder family."
Jade Goody became well known after her appearance in the U.K.'s third season of the series.
Goody became a finalist, eventually placing fourth overall. Her persona helped her rise to fame,
and Goody eventually returned to the show that made her famous. She appeared on the
U.K.'s fifth season of "Celebrity Big Brother," and finished in ninth place. Goody's time on the
celebrity spin-off also raised controversy over her bullying of her housemate Shilpa Shetty.
Goody learned that she had cervical cancer while filming for the Indian version of "Big Brother,"
"Bigg Boss." During her second day in the house, Goody took a call from a consultant, who delivered
the devastating news. The conversation was filmed, despite producers telling Goody otherwise.
In 2009, The Guardian reported that the mom of two had died of cancer at just
27 years old. PR representative Max Clifford told the outlet
that Goody passed with her mother and her husband by her side. Her mom stated,
"Family and friends would like privacy at last."
Producer and television personality David Gest was a housemate on Season 17 of the U.K.'s
"Celebrity Big Brother." He ended up leaving for medical reasons. A mix-up during a conversation
between Tiffany Pollard and Angie Bowie led to Pollard misinterpreting Bowie's words.
"You can't say a word."
"Nothing."
"David's dead."
"No he's not! Oh!"
Pollard believed that Gest had passed away, but Bowie had been referring to her ex-husband,
David Bowie. Pollard's meltdown led to numerous memes, gifs, and even t-shirts.
But Bowie's statement went from being a humorous misunderstanding to an eerily accurate prediction.
In 2016, BBC News reported that Gest had been found dead in his room at
the Four Seasons hotel in London. He was 62 years old. At the time of his death,
Gest had been planning to do a U.K. tour of a show called the "David Gest Is Not Dead But
Alive With Soul!" The show's title was a cheeky play on the "Big Brother" misunderstanding.
After Gest's death was announced, Pollard released a statement of condolence on Twitter.
"I'm so sad to hear about the passing of #DavidGest.
My thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family."
Later, The Sun reported that a post-mortem confirmed that Gest died of a stroke.
Though Dustin Diamond is best known for playing Screech on "Saved by the Bell,"
he also had a memorable run on Season 12 of the U.K.'s "Celebrity Big Brother."
The actor became the fourth housemate to be evicted on Day 16. According to Digital Spy,
Diamond told presenter Emma Willis that it was his time to leave, adding,
"I had a great time. I loved everybody in there."
"Celebrity Big Brother" wasn't Diamond's first venture into reality television.
He previously appeared on "Celebrity Fit Club," "Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling,"
and "World's Dumbest," among other shows.
On February 1, 2021, TMZ reported that the actor had passed away from stage 4 lung cancer at
age 44, just weeks after his first round of chemotherapy. The late star's former "Saved
by the Bell" castmates expressed their sorrow. Mark-Paul Gosselaar told Entertainment Weekly,
"My sincere condolences to his family and friends."
Mario Lopez stated on Instagram that Diamond would be missed while also offering condolences
to his family. Tiffani Thiessen also expressed her grief on Instagram, reminding her followers,
"Life is extremely fragile and it's something we should never take for granted."
"Big Brother" contestant Sophia Brown lasted nine days on the U.K.'s tenth
season of the reality series. Even though Brown's time on the show was brief,
the bank worker still managed to make a lasting impression.
"It was a wicked experience, honestly, Martine. So I couldn't have asked for anything more."
In 2012, The Daily Mirror reported that Brown had passed away at the age
of 30. Many of Brown's former housemates wrote heartfelt messages on social media
expressing their sadness and offering condolences.
Her cause of death remains unknown, but the Daily Mirror did note that Brown had lupus,
which is believed to be connected to her passing. Brown shared her story as a lupus
patient with Lupus Trust shortly after being evicted from "Big Brother." Brown said that
she found out that she had the autoimmune disease when she was only 7 years old.
The former houseguest revealed that she experienced health issues
and her mother pushed to discover the cause of her illness. Brown also stressed the importance
of body awareness and using it to one's advantage as a lupus patient. She said,
"You can actually begin to live rather than exist, which is what I've chosen to do."
Gordon Sloan appeared on Australia's first season of "Big Brother." He was evicted on Day 35, ending
his run on the series in 11th place. According to Now To Love, after his time on the show,
Sloan had a short-lived romance with Rogue Traders lead singer Natalie Bassingthwaighte. In 2007,
Sloan collapsed in a nightclub in Beijing and was admitted to a hospital in a coma.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Sloan never regained consciousness,
and a CAT scan revealed that he was brain dead. His cause of death remains unclear. The Brisbane
Times reported that the New Zealand native's life was celebrated at his funeral by friends,
family, and "Big Brother" production crew members. Sloan was praised for
his work in Baghdad as a human shield and his assistance in creating an orphanage in Kenya.
Model Miriam Rivera was well-known in Mexico for being the first openly-trans reality star. Rivera
made a guest appearance on Australia's fourth season of "Big Brother." Before entering the "Big
Brother" house, the entertainer told host Gretel Killen about being a transgender woman in Mexico.
"You have to be really strong, because I went through a lot."
Fans knew her for the 2004 British show "There's Something About Miriam," in which a group of men
competed for Rivera's affections. According to Variety, the reality dating series caused
a backlash when former contestants filed lawsuits against the production company.
In 2019, BBC News reported that Rivera had passed away at 38 years old.
The Daily Mail reported that Rivera's husband, Daniel Cuervo,
suspected foul play after officials ruled Rivera took her own life. Cuervo said that he'd spoken
to Rivera on the day she reportedly took her own life, stating that she wasn't feeling
well. A close friend of Rivera's stated that she'd spoken to her weeks before her death
and that the model had been excited about the future, hoping to earn a degree and write a book.
Former reality television star, model, and author Nikki Grahame
appeared on the seventh season of the U.K. version of "Big Brother,"
coming in fifth place. She later returned for "Ultimate Big Brother," the 16th Season
of the U.K. of "Big Brother," "Big Brother Canada" Season 4, and various related spin-offs. In 2020,
when speaking to The Guardian about her experience on the reality series, Grahame said,
"I hold fond memories of Big Brother,
even though there were times where it looked like I was having a meltdown."
The reality star praised "Big Brother" for giving her a financial boost,
saying that she avoided ever having to have a "normal job" thanks to the show.
In April 2021, Variety reported that Grahame had passed away at the age of 38.
According to a GoFundMe page that Grahame's close friends had set up, the star had a longstanding
struggle with anorexia. Grahame's friend Leon Dee wrote on the page:
"It breaks our hearts to know that someone who is so precious was taken from us at such a young age.
Nikki not only touched the lives of millions of people,
but also her friends and family who will miss her immensely."
In memory of the late entertainer, the donations provided to Grahame's
page were set to go to an organization that helps people with eating disorders.
If you are struggling with an eating disorder, or know someone who is, help is available.
Visit the National Eating Disorders Association website or contact NEDA's Live Helpline
at 1-800-931-2237. You can also receive 24/7 Crisis Support via text (send NEDA to 741-741).