How 'Queen of the Clean' Kim Woodburn became a beloved TV star at 50
The legendary Kim Woodburn, who first soared to fame over 20 years ago, has died at the age of 83.
Following her death, fans and peers in the entertainment industry have been remembering milestone moments of her professional life, having become one of the UK's most beloved stars.
After becoming a household name on How Clean Is Your House?, she went on to star in reality TV shows including Celebrity Big Brother and I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!
In the tribute sent to Metro by her representative, they remembered her for being an 'incredibly kind' person, as well as for the 'amazing' accomplishments of her career.
'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.'
From working as a cleaner to becoming the 'Queen of the Clean', revered by fans across the nation, here's how Woodburn became one of the UK's most beloved celebrities.
Woodburn found stardom later in life when she was 50, on a Channel 4 show called How Clean Is Your House?
Channel 4 contacted a cleaning company looking for a cleaner with a fun personality for their show. At the time, she was working for the company as a live-in cleaner for a family in Kent.
After meeting with the producers – and clearly impressing them with her cleaning aptitude and personality – she signed on and quickly became the star of the programme alongside Aggie MacKenzie, and became a star.
With her hair immaculately coiffed into her signature plaited bun, pearls in place, and one-liners at the ready, the star would immerse herself in some messy homes, creating absolute TV gold.
The series ran for six years until 2009, and Woodburn gained international fame as the show aired on BBC America. She also appeared in the Canadian cleaning show Kim's Rude Awakenings.
The show led to major fame and cemented her as a fantastically entertaining TV personality with a quick wit and a sharp tongue.
Woodburn and MacKenzie had a falling out after their series was cancelled, with the latter describing their partnering as 'chalk and cheese'.
Paying tribute to her late friend, MacKenzie told Metro: 'Kim was a tormented soul, but now she's finally at peace. We clashed often.
'Behind the fierce persona was deep pain and incredible strength. She survived because she had to. I hope she's resting now.
'She was an unforgettable woman.'
Soon after their cleaning show was cancelled in 2009, Woodburn went straight into the jungle.
Woodburn was a contestant for the ninth series of I'm a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!
She finished as runner-up to Gino D'Acampo and appeared in the jungle with Sam Fox, Sabrina Washington, Katie Price, and Stuart Manning.
The star didn't hold back when it came to voicing her opinion and quickly became a fan favourite with her hilarious takes and comments.
Speaking to Metro in 2024, she reflected that it was 'horrific, dirty and frightening, but well-paid'.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Kim for a piece about I'm A Celebrity last year.
As a former columnist for Metro, she was in a prime position to give her razor-sharp two cents about the cast.
I hadn't spoken to her before, so I was delighted to find she was a sweetheart and was completely disarmed by her self-deprecating humour.
She was upfront about how her reality TV show appearances had helped her have a financially comfortable life, and then also encouraged me to sign up for I'm A Celebrity if the opportunity ever presents itself (unlikely, but I appreciated her support nonetheless).
Of the many celebrities I've spoken to, she was among the friendliest and least pretentious. She was worlds away from the savage viral edits of her that constantly crop up on social media, and in my opinion, a lovely woman.
Following her stint in the jungle, the star made various appearances on different reality TV series.
She appeared in Celebrity Come Dine With Me, was a panellist on Big Brother's Bit on the Side, was a contestant on Let's Dance for Comic Relief, and appeared on the celebrity version of The Chase.
But one of her biggest and most memorable appearances came in 2017, when she appeared in Celebrity Big Brother.
Woodburn came in third place in Celebrity Big Brother, placing after Jedward, and winner Coleen Nolan.
The star-filled series included Calum Best, Heidi Montag, Spencer Pratt, Chloe Ferry, and James Jordan. It was a series with constant fallouts.
Woodburn entered the house on day 11 and fell out with many fellow castmates, alleging that Jamie O'Hara was an 'adulterer' in the heat of the moment.
'You're an adulterer… You two-timed your wife, and she's got three kids!' she told him.
The moment went viral and secured her in the hearts of the nation.
Woodburn not securing the winning title was a travesty to some, with many saying that she made the series and was the perfect injection of entertainment that the reality series needed.
After appearing on the show, she famously clashed with Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield while appearing on This Morning and discussing her time in the house.
This was the start of quips about the former ITV presenting duo, with the star also memorably falling out with members of the Loose Women cast.
The star left the panel show after a segment as the panellists, including Linda Robson, Janet Street Porter, quizzed her about her Big Brother fallouts.
The moment received 8,000 Ofcom complaints, with some suggesting that the star was bullied.
Later in her life, she appeared in Loose Women, various pantomime performances, and in 2022 appeared in the E4 cooking competition Celeb Cooking School. More Trending
In 2022 and 2023, she also made various appearances on the GB News show Tonight Live with Dan Wootton.
During her life and early career, Woodburn also released four books, three of which were focused on cleaning and were published with MacKenzie, and one was an autobiography.
The 2006 book titled Unbeaten: The Story of My Brutal Childhood details how her life transformed from a tough upbringing with an alcoholic mother and an abusive father to stardom later in life.
View More »
Woodburn is remembered by her husband Peter Woodburn, whom she married in 1979.
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