Inside the life of the Australian Big Brother star who died suddenly aged 37 ‘after collapsing in a bar in Italy’ – after she left fame to become a teacher
Monica Sirianni collapsed and died on a night out in the bar
She lived in Italy where she starred in Big Brother season 12
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The popular Australian-born star of Big Brother Italy, Monica Sirianni, had turned her back on fame to return to work as an English teacher before mysteriously collapsing and dying during a night out at a bar.
Local reports say the 37-year-old suddenly fell ill on Friday during a night out with friends in Sauveria Mannelli, a town in Italy’s Catanzaro province.
She was rushed to a local hospital, where she was sadly pronounced dead.
Mrs Sirianni grew up in Sydney as the daughter of Italian parents who emigrated from the southern region of Calabria before she was born.
She returned to her parents’ homeland as an adult and at the age of 25 she auditioned for the 12th season of the hit reality show, which aired in Italy between 2011 and 2012.
Sydney-born Monica Sirianni, 37, starred in the 2011-2012 Italian season of Big Brother, but had left the spotlight to return to work as an English teacher in a region of Calabria
According to reports, the 37-year-old suddenly fell ill on Friday during a night out with friends in Sauveria Mannelli, a town in Catanzaro province.
Before she was the 12th person to be evicted, she had a romance with fellow contestant Fabrizio Conti, but they broke up shortly after the show ended.
She briefly returned to Sydney, where she was photographed for the social pages during Doncaster Day at Randwick Racecourse in 2013, before returning to Italy.
Her popularity with her Italian Big Brother fanbase led to a brief TV career as a TV presenter for a local tourism network.
She did live interviews with Italians in Reggio Calabria – a beachside city at the southernmost tip of Italy.
But at the time of her death, according to local media, she was back at work as an English teacher.
Mrs Sirianni had only been in Catanzaro a few days – two hours north of Reggio Calabria – when she collapsed. It is clear that her parents were originally from the region.
Ms Sirianni briefly worked as a TV presenter after Big Brother, pictured here in a live cross promoting tourism in the coastal town of Reggio Calabria
Pictured in another live cross for her role as a presenter who gave up Mrs. Sirianni to teach again
Friends immediately raised the alarm after seeing her collapse, reports said.
Ambulance personnel rushed to the scene and attempts were made to resuscitate her, to no avail.
She was then rushed to the local Soveria Mannelli Hospital where she was tragically pronounced dead.
Reports say an investigation is underway to determine the cause of her sudden illness and death, with no information yet to be released to the public, though reports say third party involvement has been ruled out.
It is clear that doctors have not ruled out that the cause is a heart attack.
According to Gazzetta del Sud, her body will be repatriated to her parents in Sydney, Australia once the investigation is complete.
Monica Sirianni (pictured) was born in Australia to Italian parents who emigrated from the southern region of Calabria before she was born
When news broke about her death, tributes were paid on social media.
“I wanted to remember this beautiful girl Monica Sirianni, former Big Brother competitor and now a teacher,” one person wrote on Twitter.
Another simply posted “RIP,” while another said, “It doesn’t seem true that she’s gone.”
Others reminisced about watching her on Big Brother. ‘I watched the program then and I remember, I’m very sorry! Hugs to the family,” one person wrote.
Another said, ‘OMG…. I’m so sorry, condolences to the family.”