Italian Big Brother star Monica Sirianni has died after collapsing in a bar on a night out, according to local media reports. According to reports, the 37-year-old suddenly fell ill on Friday while out with friends in the Italian town of Sauveria Mannelli in the province of Catanzaro.
Sirianni, who was Australian-born, was transported to a nearby hospital where doctors later pronounced her dead. The former television personality participated in the reality show's 12th season in Italy, which ran from 2011 to 2012. Her parents were Italian immigrants who had fled the southern Calabrian region before giving birth and were now living in Australia.
Shocking Death
Sirianni died late on Friday night, according to Italy 24, with local media first reporting the tragic incident. According to local media, Monica's friends raised an alarm after she suddenly fell ill.
Paramedics rushed to the scene and tried to revive her but she wasn't responding, following which she was rushed to Soveria Mannelli Hospital, where she was tragically pronounced dead.
Her sudden illness and death are being investigated, according to sources, but no information has yet been made public. However, third-party involvement has reportedly been ruled out.
It is understood that medical professionals have not ruled out a heart attack as the cause.
Gazzetta del Sud reported that her body would be returned to her parents in Sydney, Australia, after the investigation is over.
According to the Ansa news agency, Sirianni had lived in a city in northern Italy's Lombardy area for a few years as an adult.
She entered the Italian Big Brother house during this time, but she was evicted from the house after about a month.
During her stay in the house, she was involved in a romantic relationship with another competitor, Fabrizio Conti. She ended another relationship, according to Italian news outlets, so she could be with Conti.
But soon after she left the Big Brother house, they broke up.
Tributes Pour In
According to Italian news sources, she put her television career behind her and began teaching English. Sirianni had been Catanzaro for just a few days when she collapsed. It is believed that her parents were native to the area.
As soon as word of her tragic death broke, tributes were paid on social media. "I wanted to remember this beautiful girl Monica Sirianni, former competitor of Big Brother and now a teacher," one user tweeted.
Others reminisced about watching her on Big Brother. "At the time I still watched the program and I remember it, I'm very sorry! A hug to the family," wrote another user.
A third fan simply wrote, 'RIP', while someone else said that "It doesn't seem true that she is no longer here."
"OMG.... I'm so sorry, condolences to the family," wrote yet another user.
