Kim Woodburn's real reason for Celebrity Big Brother stint after addressing return

Kim Woodburn entered the Celebrity Big Brother house in 2017 and was involved in some of the most memorable scenes in the show's history

Kim Woodburn has tragically died aged 83. The TV icon provided some of the most dramatic moments in British reality television during her career. Her most headline-grabbing stint was in the 2017 series of Celebrity Big Brother, where she was often embroiled in disputes with fellow contestants.

Her clashes were most notable with Nicola McLean, and she didn't shy away from confrontations with Jamie O'Hara and Coleen Nolan either. One notorious incident in the shared bedroom escalated to such an extent that security had to step in and remove her from the situation.

Despite the tumultuous experience on the show, Kim called out her housemates for alleged bullying, which they have all rebutted. She maintained optimism about potentially returning to the show for an all-star edition, under specific terms that her previous co-stars would not accompany her.

In an exclusive chat with the Mirror last year Kim was asked if she'd consider re-entering the Big Brother house. She replied: "I wouldn't go back with the cast I had in there", before labelling the cast "rotten pigs".

She continued: "If any of them were in there that I knew, that were ganging up on me, I'm not going to give myself punishment. I like the money, but I'm not going to work with trash like that ever again.

"But I'd go back in if most of them are who I haven't been in with. I wouldn't want to sit in the same house as them, why would I?"

Kim confessed that her participation in shows like Celebrity Big Brother and I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! was purely for financial reasons, dismissing those who claim they partake "for the experience".

Reflecting on her time in the reality TV house, she stated: "I didn't go in to win, I went in for the money. Thank you television, you paid me lots of money. I wouldn't have gone on it if I didn't get paid a large amount."

She also expressed her incredulity at the idea of joining I'm A Celebrity without substantial compensation, saying: "I wouldn't have gone in the jungle [either]. Who's going to eat a flipping lamb's testicle in the jungle if you're not paid heaps of money?"

After her stint on Celebrity Big Brother, Kim's ongoing feud with series winner Coleen Nolan resurfaced during an appearance on Loose Women. The show's producers had hoped to reconcile the two, but their plan quickly fell apart.

Within minutes of the interview, a heated argument broke out between Kim and Coleen, leading Coleen's sister Linda and other co-stars to intervene.

During the confrontation, Coleen regretted not telling Kim "how vile she was from day one". In response, Kim retorted that she "was very upset" during her time on the show, despite pretending otherwise.

Kim further accused her fellow panellists of hypocrisy, claiming: "This one [pointing to Coleen], 'Cup of tea Kim, cup of tea?' everyday and behind my back they were slagging me off."

Coleen expressed her sentiments towards Kim, stating: "I don't want to draw a line under it...I will never forget what the likes of this one and seven others put me through...I will never forget it because it was sad, awful and it was b****y cruel!".

Reflecting on their reunion, Coleen expressed regret, claiming it nearly drove her to abandon her showbiz career. As reported by the Daily Mail, she added: "And then I thought...'I'm not going to let Kim Woodburn finish my career...she's a cleaning lady!"

The news of Kim's passing was announced on Tuesday by her manager, stating: "It is with immense sadness that we let you know our beloved Kim Woodburn passed away yesterday following a short illness. Kim was an incredibly kind, caring, charismatic and strong person."

The statement continued: "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."