Australian Big Brother Italy star Monica Sirianni turned her back on fame to work as an English teacher before she mysteriously collapsed and died on 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.
Ms Sirianni grew up in Sydney as the daughter of Italian parents who had emigrated from the southern region of Calabria before she was born.
She returned to her parent’s homeland as an adult and at 25, while working as English teacher, 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 2011-12 Italian season of Big Brother but had left the spotlight to return to work as an English teacher in a Calabria region
Reports say the 37-year-old suddenly fell ill on Friday during a night out with friends in Sauveria Mannelli, a town in the Catanzaro province
Before being the 12th person evicted from the house she had struck up a romance with fellow contestant Fabrizio Conti, but they split soon after the show ended.
She briefly returned to Sydney, where she was photographed for the social pages while at 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 television presenter for a local tourism network.
She did a live crosses interviewing Italians in Reggio Calabria – a beachside city on the southern tip of Italy.
But at the time of her death she had returned to working as an English teacher, according to local media.
Ms Sirianni had only been in Catanzaro – two hours north of Reggio Calabria – for a few days when she collapsed. It is understood that her parents were originally from the region.
Ms Sirianni briefly worked as a television presenter after Big Brother, pictured here in a live cross promoting tourism in the coastal city of Reggio Calabria
Pictured in another live cross for her presenting role which Ms Sirianni gave up to return to teaching
Friends immediately raised the alarm after watching her collapse, reports said.
Paramedics rushed to the scene, and efforts were made to revive her, to no avail.
She was then rushed to the local Soveria Mannelli hospital, where she was tragically pronounced dead.
Reports say that an investigation is underway to determine the cause of her sudden illness and death, with no information yet being released to the public, although reports said third party involvement has been ruled out.
It is understood that doctors have not ruled out the cause being a heart attack.
According to Gazzetta del Sud, her body will be repatriated to her parents in Sydney, Australia once the investigation is complete.
She spent about a month in the Big Brother house (pictured) where she had a relationship with fellow housemate Fabrizio Conti which ended shortly after the show
Monica Sirianni (pictured) was born in Australia to Italian parents who had emigrated from the southern region of Calabria before she was born
As the new broke about her death, 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 person wrote on Twitter.
Another posted simply ‘RIP’, while someone else said that ‘It doesn’t seem true that she is no longer here.’
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,’ one person wrote.
Another added: ‘OMG…. I’m so sorry, condolences to the family.’
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk