THE heartbroken fiancee of Andrew Goody has paid tribute to her partner and said: "He wasn't just Jade's dad, he was the love of my life."

Mr Goody, 42, was found dead in the toilets of the KFC in Holdenhurst Road on Sunday, August 21.

At the opening of his inquest on September 2 it was confirmed the father of the Big Brother star died from heroin poisoning.

But his distraught partner Angela Mahoney, 38, told the Daily Echo he had been trying to beat his drug addiction and they had been looking forward to a fantastic future together.

"He was a very loving person, very funny," she said. "He was always up for a joke and had this fantastic Sid James-style laugh.

"He lived life to the full and respected everybody. He absolutely loved kids and had lots and lots of friends. He was just a fun-loving guy, who loved his music and loved his football.

"We were engaged to be married and planned to settle in a nice area and have kids. We had a real future to look forward to."

Angela, speaking from the home in Luckham Road East, Charminster, she shared with Andrew, said the support of family and friends, particularly Andrew's mates, was helping her cope with her grief.

But she said the constant references to Andrew as "Jade's dad" were upsetting.

"It should be about Andrew, not about Jade," she said. "He wasn't just Jade's dad - he was the love of my life, my entire world.

"Since he died, it's been Jade's dad this, Jade's dad that and we're sick of hearing it.

"But I know he was a beautiful person inside and out and nobody can take that away from me. The people that didn't see that were unlucky.

"I gained everything when I met Andy, everybody knew how much we loved each other."

Jade, 24, publicly stated she disowned her father because of his drug habit but Angela said he was the first to warn youngsters about the dangers of heroin.

She added the negative publicity surrounding his relationship with Jade was hurtful.

"Every time he saw his daughter in magazines or newspapers, it really hurt him. He just wanted to take hold of her and hug her.

"He was so looking forward to the day when he and Jade got back together. He would talk about that day. She doesn't understand how much he loved her."

A full inquest into Mr Goody's death will be held on Wednesday, September 14.

First published: September 3, 2005