Jade Goody was a British celebrity. She came into the public spotlight while appearing on the third series of the Channel 4 reality TV show Big Brother in 2002, an appearance which led to her own television programs and the launch of her own products after her eviction. She appeared regularly in celebrity, trivia, and gossip-oriented women's magazines such as heat and OK!.

On 2 May 2006, Goody published her autobiography titled Jade: My Autobiography and in June she launched her own fragrance, Shh ... Jade Goody. It was launched by Superdrug in the summer of 2005 and became the store's third best selling fragrance behind Kylie Minogue's and Victoria Beckham's. Until November 2006 Goody also contributed a weekly column to Now magazine.

In January 2007, she was a housemate in Celebrity Big Brother. During the show she was accused of racist bullying against Indian actress Shilpa Shetty Goody was evicted from the Big Brother house on 19 January 2007 receiving 82% of the vote when up against Shetty. Following her eviction from the show, she admitted her actions had been wrong and she subsequently made many public apologies.

Goody lent her face and name to a cookbook, Christmas Dinner with Jade Goody, which specialised in traditional Christmas food. The book was released with a DVD featuring Goody and her two sons. In April 2008 Goody stated that she would be releasing her second perfume range, Controversial.

In August 2008, she appeared on the Indian version of Big Brother, Bigg Boss, but withdrew early from the show and returned to the UK after being told she had cervical cancer.

In October 2008, she released a new autobiography, Jade: Catch A Falling Star. It is published by John Blake Publishing and covers her time in Celebrity Big Brother 2007. In Christmas 2008, she played the role of the Wicked Queen in a pantomime version of Snow White at the Theatre Royal, Lincoln, and was praised for her strength and determination in doing so. Goody had to withdraw from the production in January for health reasons. A reality television documentary, Living with Jade Goody was shown in September as a one off special, as part of the Living With . . . series on Living TV. A one off film "Jade's cancer battle" was aired on 11 December. There were plans for further shows if Goody had felt able to take part.

Also in October 2008, Goody opened her second beauty salon named "Homme Fatel", catering exclusively for men.

Prior to Goody's entry into the Big Brother house, she was a dental nurse. Goody lived with her sons in Upshire, a village in Essex. Her father, Andrew Robert Goody, who was of mixed race, was a drug addict and habitual criminal, who served prison sentences including a four-year term for robbery. He and Goody's mother, Jackiey Budden, split up when Goody was two, and he became estranged from Goody, whilst Goody's mother brought her up in Bermondsey. Goody's father died of a drug overdose in Bournemouth, aged 42. Goody had a relationship with TV presenter and fellow reality television regular Jeff Brazier, the father of her two sons, both of whom were born in Harlow, Essex: Bobby Jack Brazier, born in 2003, and Freddie Brazier, the following year. In 2005, Goody had a six month relationship with footballer Ryan Amoo.

She was subsequently in a relationship with Jack Tweed, who appeared alongside her on Celebrity Big Brother. In June 2007, Goody suffered a miscarriage, during the relationship. Following numerous allegations of Tweed being unfaithful the pair broke up. Goody confirmed she was dating again, and said of Tweed: "Some days, I felt more like his mum than his lover...I’ll never date a toy boy again." However, they resumed their relationship. On 15 February 2009, Goody exchanged rings with Tweed in a private informal ceremony on the banks of the River Thames. Tweed and Goody married on Sunday 22 February at Down Hall country house near Hatfield Heath. The couple signed an exclusive £700,000 deal with OK! Magazine for photographs of the ceremony.

On 1 September 2008 it was reported that Goody's cancer was "advanced and life-threatening" and that she would be having an operation followed by chemotherapy. Doctors warned that her survival chance could be as low as 65%. Further tests, and a radical hysterectomy, "went well" according to her publicist, and Goody began a course of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

On 4 February 2009 Max Clifford, Goody's publicist, confirmed that Goody's cancer had spread to her liver, bowel and groin. Therefore, the previous estimate of a 40% chance of survival was withdrawn and she underwent treatment to prolong her life.

On 14 February, Clifford confirmed media reports that doctors at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London had declared her cancer as terminal and that she could be dead within weeks, and at the most was unlikely to survive more than a few more months. He stated "She was informed yesterday that tragically, she's terminally ill. She was obviously devastated." Goody then began drawing up a will and making plans for the future care of her two sons.

On 5 March 2009, Goody requested to be christened from her bed at the Royal Marsden Hospital; on 7 March she and her sons were christened. Clifford confirmed that this would be Goody's last public appearance, and that she had already said her goodbyes to her family.

Goody died in her sleep in the early hours of 22 March 2009. She died in the early hours of 22 March 2009.