Category Entertainment News

How Clean Is Your House star Kim Woodburn told fans she ‘refused to die’ in a health update three years before her death, after undergoing a major operation

Kim Woodburn has died aged 83, her family has confirmed.

The TV star, who shot to stardom for her no-nonsense attitude and witticisms on Channel 4’s How Clean Is Your House with Aggie MacKenzie, died on Monday.

Her beloved husband-of-46-years Peter, who she lived with in their Nantwich, Cheshire home, is “heartbroken” over the loss of his soulmate.

Kim passed away after battling a brief illness. Renowned for not holding back, the Noughties icon never shied away from speaking about her health woes and before her death she shared a candid update with her fans following an operation.

Kim reassured fans in April 2022 that she “refused to die” as she sported a huge plaster around her neck after having her ‘throat cut’ by doctors. The queen of clean worried fans as she shared a photo of herself in a hospital gown as she sat up in bed.

After receiving hundreds of concerned messages, she took to Instagram to share what happened as she swigged some gin and ate a handful of grapes. She told fans: “Hello my loves. Thank you for all your good messages and I’ll tell you what’s gone on.

READ MORE: Kim Woodburn’s devastating health woes and telling sign before her death at 83

“I had a disk behind the ear that was fractured or something was broken and the doctor – the specialist – had to go in, he cut a big hole in my throat here and somehow went in with his fingers. He took out the rotten disk and he put a titanium disk in.

“I’m getting back the use in my fingers, because it was killing my fingers, and that was the reason he did it. Because of my legs, I wouldn’t have been able to walk.”

Wiggling her fingers, she added: “I think it’s quite good. I’m not dying, my lovies, I refuse to die, dear. Letters from all around the world have been coming in. Thanks my loves, I don’t half appreciate them.”

Picking up a large glass, which she swigged from, she said: “Excuse me while I have my gin. Lovely!”

At the time, her fans flocked to the comments to wish her well, with one writing: “icon, get well soon queen!” While another commented: “Love ya Kim you little b***.”

Following the news of her death, Kim was described as an “incredibly kind, caring, charismatic and strong person” by her loved ones, who were “so proud” of what she achieved in her career.

A representative for Kim shared in a statement: “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. 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.”

READ MORE: Boots’ No7 serum that ‘reverses’ signs of skin damage sold every 7 seconds

With youngsters’ interest in beauty booming, we asked skincare guru Caroline Hirons to explain what they should and shouldn’t be using – and which weird beauty trends to avoid

If you know a teenager or tweenager, the chances are that you’ll be aware of the huge rise in this generation’s interest in beauty. And so with many youngsters’ dream day out now a trip to Sephora over the sweet shop, who better to explain what they should really be using — and steering clear of — than leading ‘skinfluencer’ Caroline Hirons, who not only is known for her no-nonsense, science-backed beauty advice, but has raised four children too (she’s a mum to Ben, 33, Daniel, 31, Ava, 23, and Max, 20).

Following the best-selling success of her first book, Skincare, Caroline, 55, has now written Teen Skincare, aimed at boys and girls aged nine to 19 and their parents, separating the facts from the fads, and covering everything from acne tips to affordable product recommendations.

We caught up with Caroline for her usual unfiltered approach to beauty, covering everything from breast milk facials to snogging behind bike sheds…

READ MORE: ‘I’m a beauty editor and these are the only skincare products I’ll let my tween use’

READ MORE: ‘I wore this perfume when I was a teenager, and at 55 I still swear by the £34 fragrance’

Hi, Caroline! So why did you want to write a book specifically on teen skin, and why now? It’s so topical nowadays, and I’m asked about it all the time, so it’s easier for me to write it all down in a book than reply to the messages from hundreds of parents on Instagram I get every day.

What was your own skin — and skincare routine — like as a teenager? I had what you would call typical teen skin — I’d get the odd big spot when my period was due, but nothing serious. My skincare routine was basically cleanse, tone and moisturise. The moment I first bought a Bourjois blusher from Boots and showed it to my mum, she said, “If you’re going to put that on, you’re going to need to know how to take it off first.” So I did.

Did you always know you wanted to work in skincare? I always loved it, but I didn’t always know I wanted to work in skincare. My mother and grandmother were both in the industry but strangely we never once discussed me working in it too. It’s funny how the world turns out!

And what about your children’s teenage skin?

Ava and Max both suffered with spots and mild acne — Ava’s was post-Covid, and Max was just being a typically gaming teenager who didn’t spend a lot of time outside. But a lot of them go through that — it’s like a rite of passage.

Do you think that teens now are going to have better skin when they’re older than previous generations? Absolutely, because of how they take care of themselves. Most Gen Z girls and boys go to the gym, they don’t drink as much, and they think smoking is grim. I’m lucky that I never smoked because I found it horrible, but lots of people growing up in the 70s and 80s did. No one would have dreamt of going to the gym in my youth — it was just something ‘silly Americans’ did. And when we would go on holiday, we either didn’t use sun cream at all and burnt to a crisp, or we used Hawaiian Tropic SPF 2 and felt virtuous. The younger generation these days are already smarter than we were, and that’s what you hope for, right?

What’s the craziest viral beauty trend you’ve seen recently? Basically, if your body has expelled it, it shouldn’t go on your face. I’m talking breast milk, period blood and sperm — all of which I have been asked about. Utter filth. And I’m so sick of hearing about people putting beef tallow on their face now that I don’t even want to put it on my potatoes.

I also get tagged in ‘SPF is toxic’ content all the time, and I just leave a comment that says “enjoy melanoma”. Or I just ignore a lot of it — I’m not going to amplify the stupidity.

How should parents talk to their kids about skincare and grooming? You have to talk to your teenager like the adult they’re becoming, not the child they’ve been. You just have to say, “I love you, you stink, you need to have a shower, here’s a deodorant.” Deodorant and shower gel are usually first. Then usually the spots start, and you can have a conversation about skincare. At some point a girl or a boy they fancy is going to come on the scene and then you won’t have a problem telling them to wash. I still remember when my boys started bathing — I thought, “There must be a girl around.”

What age they need to start doing this depends on when their hormones kick in. If they’re smelly, moody and have hair under their armpits, they should be doing their skin.

It’s also habit: do they see you doing your skin? For my daughter, it wasn’t a question — she saw me doing my face from the minute she was born, as I did with my mum, and my mum with hers.

How should teens approach acne?

I don’t think Gen Z and Gen Alpha feel the pressure of having spots like we did. Now they wear spot stickers out. You would never have put a sticker on a spot in my generation — if you didn’t have concealer, you wouldn’t leave the house. Girls celebrate them now, and I think it’s amazing.

Unless their acne is severe, there’s no point going to your GP, because the waiting list for NHS dermatologists is two to three years. If you’ve got the means and your child’s mental health is being affected, go private. It’s not as expensive as everyone thinks it is — it’s a couple of hundred quid, you’re not talking thousands — but it’s worth every penny. One of my famous sayings is, “Don’t credit card your skincare”, but I’ve always said, “Credit card your health” — or your child’s health. Don’t underestimate how bad skin makes your child feel.

Is there anything else you would love to write a book about? No, but we’re due an update on Skincare. That will happen within the next year, I’m sure. There are always new ingredients and new products coming out.

Finally, what advice would you give to your teen self?

Don’t smoke, don’t drink too much, don’t have sex with that boy, and don’t lie to your mum about where you’re going. To be fair, I’ve never smoked, I’ve never drunk too much, and I’ve never touched a drug in my life, which my kids couldn’t believe, with me growing up in the 80s in west London. The closest I’ve ever come is accidentally eating half a hash cake thinking it was a brownie – and I just fell asleep. Snogging behind bike sheds, however, is a different story…

Quickfire questions

First products you’d give to a 13-year-old?

SPF and a face wash.

One product every teen should avoid?

Retinoids – they don’t need a vitamin A, unless they have acne.

Make-up wipes: yes or no? No.

Top trusted skincare brands for teen skin?

Sam Farmer, Spots & Stripes, Bubble, Byoma, Indu, certain CeraVe and Curél products. All gentle stuff.

One skincare word or phrase you would ban?

“Trend”. Taking care of your face should never be a trend.

A product you wished you’d invented?

Vitamin A. There’d be a lot of money in that at least.

Dream podcast guest?

Mariska Hargitay, who plays Sergeant Olivia Benson in Law & Order: SVU, and who I’m obsessed with.

Kelsey Parker opened up on her latest pregnancy and says her late husband Tom Parker ‘picked’ her new partner as she prepares to give birth at the end of the month

Kelsey Parker has revealed why she believes her late husband Tom Parker ‘picked her new boyfriend’ for her as she prepares to give birth to his child. The mum discovered she was pregnant with tree surgeon Will Linsday’s baby three years after Tom’s tragic death.

Kelsey is already a proud mum to five-year-old daughter Aurelia and four-year-old son Bodhi, whom she shared with her late husband. Tom, who was part of the boy band The Wanted, sadly passed away in 2022 after being diagnosed with a brain tumour. Now Kelsey told Closer: “I do feel like Tom actually picked him. I think he was like, ‘He’s great. He’s perfect for her.’”

Kelsey said that she and Tom ‘grew up together’ after they fell in love when she was just 19 years old. They tied the knot in 2018 and welcomed two beautiful children together before Tom was tragically diagnosed with a brain tumour and passed away in 2022, when he was just 33 years old.

Kelsey recalled the difficult time in her life, labelling it ‘horrendous’ but that she wanted to ‘keep things as normal as possible’ for her two young children. Kelsey said: “It was horrendous. The day after Tom died, I took the kids to the nursery. The staff were all in floods of tears because they all adored Tom.

“But I just wanted to keep things as normal as possible. We’re continuing, we’re going forward. I didn’t want it to affect the children, because it’s going to affect them enough already”.

Kelsey, who met her partner Will on a night out with mutual friends, said that Will has been ‘amazing’ and ‘embraces’ Tom. She added that Will coming into her whirlwind life must have been ‘a lot’ but that he was the perfect person because he doesn’t ‘overthink’.

She said: “People will ask, ‘Is Will jealous of Tom?’ He doesn’t feel that way about Tom, which I was always worried about, because my love for Tom is obviously like beyond”.

Comparing this pregnancy with her first two, the proud mum said it has been ‘very different’. She said: “With Aurelia, I had pre-eclampsia, and when I was 35 weeks pregnant with Bodhi, Tom got his diagnosis.”

She added: “I had a 15-month-old and was up doing night feeds with a newborn all while Tom was beginning his treatment. It was a lot”.

Kelsey, who is due to give birth end the end of June, previously said that she has been trying to enjoy this pregnancy more. She said after everything she has been through with her family, ‘you realise how precious life is’.

Alongside preparing for the new addition and adjusting to parenthood with Will, Kelsey continues her extensive charity work in honour of her late husband. This includes hosting a successful charity football match, sponsored by Grove Gallery, in his memory.

How Clean Is Your House? star Kim Woodburn has died aged 83, her family has sadly confirmed

Celebrity Big Brother star Kim Woodburn’s last post on social media was on Valentine’s Day just four months before she sadly died. The How Clean Is Your House? star, who first stepped into the spotlight on Channel 4’s show with Aggie MacKenzie, passed away on Monday, aged 83, her family confirmed.

On Valentine’s Day, Kim sent a message to her fans on Instagram, giving them instructions to get their messages in for her personalised videos. Fans of the no-nonsense star loved hearing Kim delivering their messages in her iconic tone, which earned her a legion of loyal fans. Updating her followers on the next set of videos, surrounded by teddy bears, wearing a string of gold chains, Kim said: “Right my loves, the usual message, I know it’s boring, but if I don’t tell you, you’ll forget, so open your lug holes. The next time I’ll be doing these videos is on Friday 21st February. I hope you’re all ok and keeping well. Thanks so much for asking me to do these videos. They give me such a laugh, thank you very much.”

READ MORE: Kim Woodburn’s real life tragedies that led to call from police with autobiography release

Responding to the post, her fans told her how much they loved her and how much she made them smile.

Sadly, this was Kim’s last ever post as a message was later posted on her account reading: “We regret to tell you that Kim is unable to record any more videos for the foreseeable future to a health problem. She sends her love to you all.”

Three months later and Kim’s family confirmed the sad news of her death today. A representative for Kim shared in a statement: “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. 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.”

Kim, who also starred in Celebrity Big Brother as well as string of appearances in shows, including This Morning and I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! was known for her hilarious off-the-cuff remarks, brutal honestly and no-nonsense attitude.

She was last seen in public when she attended The Vivienne’s funeral in January.

The star paid tribute to the RuPaul’s Drag Race star, who sadly died following a ketamine overdose, age 32. Kim was joined by a number of famous faces at the funeral, including Jade Thirlwall, Steps singer, Ian ‘H’ Watkins and X Factor star, Marcus Collins.

Celebrity Big Brother legend and How Clean Is Your House star Kim Woodburn has died at the age of 83 after a short illness her family has sadly confirmed

Kim Woodburn has died aged 83, her family has sadly confirmed, and before her untimely death, the TV star suffered a series of debilitating health issues, including blindness, Alopecia, an underactive thyroid, and severe neck pain.

The TV star, who shot to stardom for her no-nonsense attitude and witticisms on Channel 4’s How Clean Is Your House with Aggie MacKenzie, died on Monday. Her cause of death has not yet been confirmed. Kim’s beloved husband-of-46-years Peter, who she lived with in their Nantwich, Cheshire home, is “heartbroken” over the loss of his soulmate.

She has been described as an “incredibly kind, caring, charismatic and strong person” by her loved ones, who were “so proud” of what she achieved in her career. Announcing the sad news of her death, a representative for Kim shared in a statement: “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. 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.”

The Queen of clean faced numerous health challenges throughout her life, many of which she openly discussed in interviews and on social media. Born with limited vision – virtually blind in her right eye and short-sighted in her left – Woodburn’s childhood neglect prevented her from receiving treatment for her condition.

She only discovered the extent of her vision problems in her late teens while working in a factory. Despite this, she pursued a career as a model and later as a television personality, adapting her lifestyle to accommodate her visual impairments.

In addition to her vision issues, Kim contended with alopecia, an underactive thyroid, and a history of severe neck pain. She was diagnosed with hypothyroidism in her 60s, which caused fatigue and overheating.

Alopecia, leading to patchy hair loss, was another recurring issue she faced. In 2022, she underwent neck surgery to remove a damaged disc, which was affecting her hands. She humorously referred to the procedure as having her “throat cut” and recovered with her characteristic resilience .

Beyond physical health, Woodburn endured significant emotional trauma. She revealed that she was sexually abused by her father and physically abused by her mother during her childhood. Additionally, she suffered the loss of a stillborn son at six months pregnant, a traumatic event she later recounted on Loose Women.

Kim’s untimely death comes weeks after cancelling work commitments due to health concerns. Kim had been offering personal video greetings to her loyal followers for £25 a pop after also selling clips on the Cameo platform. But earlier this month she told her social media followers: “No more videos for now, my loves, I need to get better!”

A post on her Instagram account read: “We regret to tell you that Kim is unable to record any further videos for the foreseeable future, due to a health problem. Kim sends her love to you all.” She also recently went under the knife for surgery on her eye.

Elevate your garden with a tropical twist this summer, as this large Mexican fan palm tree has had its price slashed by a whopping 40% for a limited time

Fancy stepping up your outside space with an exotic flair, without breaking the bank? Now’s your chance. This Mexican Fan Palm Plant is currently up for grabs with a major discount. The Washingtonia Robusta is set to “transform your garden into a tropical paradise”, as this striking plant is celebrated for its towering height (up to 4 feet) and massive fan-shaped leaves that sway gracefully in the breeze.

This palm tree, which will transform your patio or garden into a tropical haven, would normally cost £32.98, but thanks to this Wowcher deal, it is currently available for £19.99.

READ MORE: Inside Maura Higgins’ summer holiday makeup bag as huge new TV job is revealed

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Sure to become a stunning focal point of your outdoor area, this Skyduster palm reaches 3-4ft, making it the perfect addition for gardens, patios, or decks. Touted as hardy and resilient, this palm tree thrives in UK climates, even as temperatures drop to -8°C, making it ideal for sunny, well-drained spots all year round.

Offering a vibrant, exotic touch, whether indoors or outdoors, this palm tree originated in Mexico and has become famed as the Hollywood palm in California. It adds an LA vibe to your outdoor area, regardless of where you live.

The main perk is that this tree is super easy to grow and requires minimal care and maintenance, so you can plant this beauty and sit back, relax and enjoy this plant’s tropical aesthetic.

Preferring sunnier spaces and set to thrive in fast-draining soil, this palm tree will transport you and your garden to the sun-drenched landscape of South America, without costing a fortune.

That said, the best time to plant this palm to be rewarded with the results of its tropical look is during the springtime. But that shouldn’t stop you planting in the summer months, as it’s recommended to pop this gem in the ground when there’s no risk of frost.

Green-thumbed shoppers who have taken advantage of this deal have left glowing testimonials. One happy customer shares: “This Fan Palm Tree arrived on time and well packed. It is healthy, strong, and already settled in its new pot. This tree was suitably moist, and hopefully, it will start sprouting new growth very soon.”

Another writes: “Lovely plants. Looks good on the patio.”

Further praise comes from this buyer, who beams: “Delivery was faster than expected, as in only a few days, and was delivered upright. The great thing was that it was bigger than I expected. I am so pleased I ordered this beautiful addition and would definitely order more.”

Another shopper shares the same sentiment, saying: “Really happy with this. It’s a really healthy plant, Bigger than I expected it to be too. Definitely recommend.”