THOUSANDS of mourners turned out today to say farewell to Jade Goody at the reality TV star’s funeral.

While friends and family gathered in St John the Baptist Church in Buckhurst for the service Goody’s massive public following collected outside to pay their respects.

Her white coffin arrived in a vintage rolls Rolls-Royce shortly before midday and was carried into the church as the London Community Gospel sung Amazing Grace.

Her widower, Jack Tweed 21, was among the six pallbearers and read a poem at the service.

Choking back the tears he said: “My life will never be the same without you by my side. Grief almost too much to bear, pain difficult to hide.

“But when we look into the sky for the brightest star above,

“Bobby, me and Freddie will send you all our love.”

Celebrities including Big Brother’s Davina McCall and pop stars Antony Costa and singer Jamelia were also among the mourners.

A giant video screen outside the church played a collection of images of Goody accompanied by the Beatles song She Loves You.

The montage ended with a film clip of the star saying: “That’s it from me. See you around maybe. Bye.”

Earlier well-wishers had lined the streets of Bermondsey, south-east London to watch the funeral procession follow a route celebrating reality TV star’s working-class up bringing.

Police stopped traffic for the cortege, which was led by funeral director Barry Albin-Dyer and the vicar of St James’s Church, Rev Stewart Hartley as it passed through the council estate where she was raised and the ‘Blue’ market on Southwark Park Road, where her family used to have a stall.

Goody, who died aged 27 on March from cervical cancer, rose to fame after appearing on Big Brother and has rarely been out the spotlight since.

Paying tribute, her publicist Max Clifford said: “When we left the house it was cloudy and overcast. As we moved forwards the sun started to come through and that is what in many ways Jade’s life was like.

“It was difficult to start with but as she got older she took more and more control ... and people came to appreciate that.”

He added: “This is a girl who was ordinary and extraordinary at the same time.”

He said she became a princess in Bermondsey, the tough inner London district where she was raised, and then a queen in Essex.

Mother of seven Kirsty Brooks, 34, of Westbury, Wiltshire, travelled for seven-and-a-half hours with her three sisters to witness the funeral.

She said: “We have always been big fans of Jade since Big Brother and have just always followed her.

“She was just a real woman who always put her kids first to the end. She also shared the same birthday as my late daughter, who passed away.”

It is believed Goody's sons Bobby and Freddie held a private service in Australia with their father Jeff Brazier.

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