'I interviewed Kim Woodburn and saw a side to her that people rarely saw'

Kim Woodburn became known for her quick wit, sharp tongue and her strength when it came to standing up for herself. This made me both incredibly excited and nervous ahead of my interview with the telly legend last year. Her death earlier this week was something none of us could have anticipated.
Ahead of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! airing last year, I was offered an interview with Kim to discuss her time on the show as well as her views on last year's contestants, including Coleen Rooney, GK Barry and Loose Women anchor Jane Moore.
But I'd grown up seeing Kim on shows such as How Clean Is Your House, I'm A Celeb, and Celebrity Big Brother, so I knew she didn't take any prisoners.
Her appearance on Celebrity Big Brother is perhaps the most memorable part of the show's history, mainly her feud with Jamie O'Hara and Nicola McLean (whom she called Nicole).
During her stint in the house, Kim clashed with several of her co-stars, but despite being older than them, she had more fire and was prepared to stand her ground.
I knew that I would be getting several strong lines from Kim from the outset, and knew she wouldn't mince her words, which she didn't.
She was one of the few stars who wasn't afraid to say what was really on her mind, whether people liked it or not – and that is exactly why I liked her. I mean, my motto is "it's better to be slapped with the truth than kissed with a lie," and Kim had the same outlook.
But one thing I hadn't anticipated was just how warm and gentle Kim would be. Speaking to me from her home in Cheshire, where she lived with her beloved husband Peter, the telly star and expert cleaner showed me a side I wasn't prepared for after waking up late one morning.
She was warm, approachable and made light of my bed head and told me I'd end up on the dole queue if I woke up late again. But towards the end of our chat, I couldn't help but ask Kim about her rise to fame. How did a woman from Portsmouth suddenly become a household name in her sixties?
"I got into television when I was 61," she said. She went on to tell me: "Like everyone else, I went out to work, coming back, trying to juggle bills and leave one for two more days as we all do. Then suddenly I was discovered for television, and I didn't apply for the job.
"I was discovered and within a month, swept into fame and a load of money, and I've always been grateful. I got into it so late at 61, I'm 82 now. So for 21 years, I've bought a house and I can go out and buy things I want.
"If I want to treat myself and got a nice car, my husband's got a nice car – I'm ever so grateful. I'm ever so thankful, thank you so much. I was just lucky. You get it at that age and you don't forget, you don't forget." On Tuesday, I took a day off from social media and work for personal reasons and, when I saw the news of Kim's death, I was so sad.
She was somebody who brought so much joy to so many people, often entertaining fans with her Cameo videos delivering some of her most iconic phrases, including "You chicken livered sh*t" and "damned adulterer!" Finding the footage of my interview late last night made me laugh beyond belief at 10pm. Kim, thank you for the entertainment – I hope you're having a gin and tonic up there.

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Metro

4 hours ago

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Noel Edmonds tears up reflecting on ‘dark space' when he attempted suicide

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Daily Mirror

4 hours ago

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