Reality Bites

So today Jade Goody finally passed away.

If you're not familiar with Jade Goody the BBC, as always have issued a suitable obituary.

To be honest, I feel for Jade and her family, it's pretty awful what she had to go through but this is not really an event on the scale of Diana back in '97.

I remember watching Jade on Big Brother back in 2002 or whenever it was and most her antics were cringe worthy and like all reality tv shows like Big Brother, American Idol, Survivor etc, they're good fun to watch but once the winner is declared, my interest in the contestants ends but there was something about Jade that kept the British public interested.

It's things like this that I miss about my home country. The way one event can unite the entire country. If you talk about the latest goings on in Coronation Street the majority of people will know what you're talking about. Everyone will know the football results, and everyone will know who Jade Goody is, even if they never watched Big Brother. She's made enough headlines of her own since then for people to have avoided her for too long.

When the World Cup comes around I miss home most. The way the entire country stops when England are playing, and all the talk in pubs, on tv and radio and in newspapers is all about the next game. Britain is a country of huge historical significance, but it is also a small island where one event can unite everybody.

Going back to Jade, I must admit I haven't followed her story too closely recently but she seemed to have behaved with dignity and knowing death was on it's way, she made preparations to ensure her children would be looked after when she was gone. I'm sure they will be ok financially but growing up without their Mother, who died at a tragically young age will be tough to take.

Today is also Mother's Day in the UK so a big hug and thank you to all the Mothers reading.