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Daily Mirror
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Sara-Aisha Kent

Nick Kamen's ex-girlfriend Amanda de Cadenet pens touching tribute to late model

Nick Kamen's ex-girlfriend Amanda de Cadenet has taken to social media following the death of the model.

Photographer Amanda and handsome Nick - who rose to fame after appearing in the iconic 1985 Levi's 'laundrette' advert - became friends at the age of 14 and then went on to date from 1998 to 2001.

Model Nick - real name Ivor Neville Kamen - died this week at his flat in Notting Hill, West London, at the age of 59 following a secret battle with bone marrow cancer.

Following the sad news of Nick's passing Amanda, 48, shared a throwback offering of Nick and her daughter Atlanta - captured in 1998 - onto her Instagram page.

Nick Kamen's ex-girlfriend Amanda de Cadenet has penned a touching message following the mode's death (FilmMagic)

Alongside the gorgeous photo, Amanda penned a lengthy statement in which she told how Nick was "kind" and "talented" and how behind the scenes he was dedicated to his spirituality and Buddhism.

Amanda typed: "So many feelings hearing that you are gone. This is a first for me. When an ex-boyfriend dies. Feels odd posting anything on social media. You weren’t even on this stuff.

"I have so many photos I have taken of you, but this is one of the sweetest and reminds me of how much you loved @atlantabean. It’s from 1998. Reading all the tributes to you, people sharing how kind you were, how talented and yes incredibly handsome.

"I think you would like most, but you would not like that the loudest take away was that you were in an Levi’s ad and worked with Madonna. So, I’m going to make sure we don’t forget that any notoriety you gained, was something you never embraced. It almost embarrassed you. My experience of you, and our time together was that you spent much of your days making art, cooking, travelling, and chanting."

Touching on Nick's spirituality, she added: "Your practice was the most important thing in your life, and I know that your last breath would’ve been Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Hope you are with your beloved brother Barry now.".

Nick had gone through stem cell treatment and other extensive care measures before sadly succumbing to his cancer.

His sister Denise Kent told MailOnline : "He was a real fighter. He gave it everything and was in and out of hospital.

"He never gave up and put up such a good fight. It has been four years. A long time"

Denise had last seen her beloved brother on Sunday and said family members had been taking turns to visit him and his partner Lucinda.

Amanda and Nick dated from 1998 to 2001 (Allen Gordon / Avalon)

Speaking of her brother's fight to survive, Denise added: "He would always fight back and would not give up. He came back so often we would call him Lazarus after biblical character. He really did fight so hard."

After his death, a number of stars paid tribute to him.

Madonna penned: "Its heartbreaking to know you are gone. You were always such a kind sweet human and you suffered too much. Hope you are happier wherever you are Nick Kamen."

Little Britain's Matt Lucas summed up Nick's sex symbol status by tweeting: "If you didn't have a crush on Nick Kamen in the 80s, you probably weren't there."

While Boy George penned: "R.I.P to the most beautiful and sweetest man Nick Kamen!"

Nick, whose real name was Ivor Neville Kamen, died following a battle with bone marrow cancer (Getty Images)

Duran Duran's John Taylor wrote: "So so sad to hear of the passing of Nick Kamen. One of the loveliest and gentlest men I ever met.

"He was a beloved friend to my daughter and her Mom. We shall all miss him. RIP Nick"

Nick was being nursed by his girlfriend Lucinda as he battled the disease.

His brother Ronald said: "His breathing was very shallow and he knew what was coming. He did fight it very hard. I was with him a few days ago.

"We have been able to see him, but only one at at time due to the pandemic. That made things a lot worse but he did have the cancer before all the lockdowns."

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