Reality TV star Kim Woodburn dies aged 83 after ‘short illness’
Kim Woodburn has died aged 83. (Getty)
Kim Woodburn has died aged 83. (Getty)
Celebrity Big Brother star and beloved gay icon Kim Woodburn has died aged 83 after a “short illness”.
Kim Woodburn, known as the “Queen of Clean” after her time co-hosting Channel 4’s How Clean is Your House?, died on Monday (16 June) according to her representatives.
“It is with immense sadness that we let you know our beloved Kim Woodburn passed away yesterday following a short illness,” they told The Sun in a statement.
“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.”
Woodburn’s team said that they would not be releasing any further details about her death.
Woodburn co-presentied cleaning programme How Clean Is Your House? on Channel 4 between 2003 and 2009 alongside Aggie MacKenzie, and then went on to have a successful reality TV career.
She appeared on ITV’s I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! in 2009, becoming a runner-up to winner Gino D’Acampo, but it was her appearance on Celebrity Big Brother in 2017 that cemented her as a favourite among the LGBTQ+ community.
During her appearance on the Channel 5 reality show, she frequently found herself in confrontations with her fellow housemates, including Loose Women panelist Coleen Nolan, glamour model Nicola McLean, and footballer Jamie O’Hara.
Her spats became instant social media memes that are still used frequently today among the LGBTQ+ community. She came third on the season, which was ultimately won by Nolan.
She also hosted Kim’s Rude Awakenings between 2007 and 2009, in which she helped messy households clean up their homes, and appeared as a guest or competitor on dozens of other household TV shows in the UK, including The Chase, Celebrity Juice, Countdown, and Celeb Cooking School.
It was a mix of her much-memed TV appearances, signature bun, feather-lined washing up gloves, soft and posh accent and her no-nonsense attitude that made Kim Woodburn. a gay favourite.
A TV matriarch, Kim Woodburn found herself affectionately parodied by drag performers across the world, with RuPaul’s Drag Race stars including Victoria Scone, Gothy Kendoll, and the late, great The Vivienne all impersonating her.
In 2021, Woodburn appeared alongside The Vivienne for an episode of Netflix’s I Like To Watch UK. Woodburn attended The Vivienne’s funeral earlier this year, following her tragic death in January.
In 2022, Woodburn was criticised by the community after an appearance on GB News, in which she was asked about unisex changing rooms. She stated that she didn’t want to show “bare body to a strange man”, adding: “Come on don’t talk utter rubbish, my love, a man’s a man, a woman’s a woman.”
However, a representative later told PinkNews that Woodburn was misrepresented during the appearance, and was speaking about cisgender men, not transgender women.
“I have always supported the LGBTQ+ community, and I count each and every one of you, my friends,” she wrote in a post on Instagram.
“I will always be an ally to the community and would never say a bad word about any of you.”
A stream of tributes have poured in from fans across the community, with one writing on social media: “I’m literally shaking. Our beautiful Kim Woodburn. Fly high my dorlin, her impact on Twitter and British pop culture especially should be studied. A British legend.”
Victoria Scone, who played Woodburn on Snatch Game for Canada’s Drag Race: Canada vs the World, wrote on Instagram: “Devastated that we’ve lost an absolute DIVA icon & star. I can’t tell you how much I adore this woman. What a bloody legend. She was my snatch audition for Drag Race UK and got to do her (quite terribly) on Canada vs the World.”
“Can’t believe Kim Woodburn has died, an absolute icon of reality TV who I quote daily (and will continue to do so) RIP to a legend,” shared another fan.
A fourth person wrote: “We’ve lost a true gay icon today. RIP Kim Woodburn.”
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