British reality star Jade Goody died in her sleep early Sunday after a seven-month battle with cervical cancer.

She was 27.

Jade died surrounded by her family at her home in Essex, southeast England, her publicist, Max Clifford confirmed on Sunday.

“She had been asleep the past 24 hours and it happened very peacefully. Everyone is, of course, devastated, but we knew this was coming. I’m just glad people are remembering her as a brave girl who took on this battle with courage and gusto. She’s inspired a lot of people.”

The former dental assistant rose to fame in 2002 at age 21 when she joined the British version of the reality television show Big Brother, in which contestants live together for weeks and are constantly filmed.