Jackie Stallone: Sylvester Stallone’s mother and Celebrity Big Brother star dies aged 98

Jackie Stallone, the mother of Hollywood actor Sylvester and one of Celebrity Big Brother’s most memorable stars, has died aged 98.

Tributes have been paid to “a remarkable woman” and an “icon” after the news was confirmed by one of her sons, Frank, with original Big Brother host Davina McCall and former housemates among those sharing their memories.

Stallone died on Monday “in her sleep as she had wished”, her son wrote on social media.

“It was hard not to like her, she was [a] very eccentric and flamboyant person,” Frank wrote.

“Her mind was as sharp as a razor till the day she died.”

He said his brother Sylvester had taken “care of her like a Queen for all of her life”, and added: “I will never be able to call my mom again or have her yell at me why I never got married. But we all loved her and her spirit to survive and prevail. I’ll miss you always mommy.”

Frank said he was “drowning my emotions in tears and too much vino” following his mother’s death.

Stallone was married three times and had three sons and a daughter, Toni D’Alto, who died in 2012.

A famous celebrity astrologer and women’s wrestling promoter, she had a very memorable, albeit brief, stint in the Celebrity Big Brother house in the UK in 2005, alongside contestants including the late John McCririck, model Caprice, Happy Mondays star Bez, and Germaine Greer.

A surprise contestant who went into the famous house a few days after the series had kicked off, Stallone entered much to the shock of co-housemate and former daughter-in-law Brigitte Nielsen, with whom she had a frosty relationship at the time.

“Oh my God! Jackie!” a stunned Nielsen exclaimed when she first saw her.

Stallone’s response – “Yeah… Jackie” – as entered wearing a fur coat and sunglasses, became a famous line from the show.

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Despite being evicted from the house after just four days following clashes with racing pundit McCririck, she became one of the show’s most loved characters.

Sharing a picture of the pair together on social media, Nielsen described Stallone as “strong” and a “very unique woman”.

McCall and Rylan Clark-Neal, who won Celebrity Big Brother in 2013 and went on to present spin-off show Big Brother’s Bit On The Side, were also among those to pay tribute.

Jamie East, who presented Big Brother’s Bit On The Side before Clark-Neal, wrote on Twitter: “Ah man, RIP Jackie Stallone – responsible for one of the greatest ever moments on television.”

Fans of the series and former housemates have also paid tribute to the woman they say made one of the greatest entrances in its history.

Stallone had seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, Frank said.

(c) Sky News 2020: Jackie Stallone: Sylvester Stallone’s mother and Celebrity Big Brother star dies aged 98