The star died at 3.55am, her publicist Max Clifford said.

Her mother Jackiey Budden told Mr Clifford: "My beautiful girl is gone."

She later stood outside her home and asked for privacy as friends and family grieved the news.

The 27-year-old's body was taken from the home at shortly after 8am.

Jade Goody has returned home to spend her final days with "all those who are close to her", her publicist said.

The former Big Brother contestant, 27, looked frail as she left the Royal Marsden Hospital, in London, accompanied by her husband, Jack Tweed, 21.

But Max Clifford said Goody was "thrilled" to be back at her home in Upshire, Essex.

"She is thrilled to be at home," he said.

"It's where she wants to be. She is just hoping that they can keep on top of the pain so she can get as good a quality of life as possible for however long she has got left."

Mr Clifford said the star was looking forward to spending more time with her two sons, Bobby, five, and Freddie, four.

"She wants to spend all the time she has got left with Jack and the boys and all those who are close to her," he said.

Earlier Mr Clifford spoke to Sky reporter Enda Brady outside the Royal Marsden.

"He told me Jade was desperately keen to get away from the hospital, to go home to her husband and two young boys Freddie and Bobby," Brady said.

He added: "Jade looked extremely frail this morning - there was no wave to the cameras."

Goody, who was diagnosed with terminal cervical cancer last summer, left hospital and was taken on the 25-mile journey home in an ambulance.

The star, who wore multi-coloured pyjamas covered by a red blanket, was wheeled out of the ambulance on a stretcher pushed by a medic.

Goody's mother, Jackiey Budden, was at the house when her daughter arrived.

She told reporters that Goody was "pleased" to be home.

The move home came as video footage of Goody looking frail and gaunt before her wedding was released.

The celebrity, who looks sleepy and pale in much of the Living TV programme, is shown emotionally saying how "lucky" she was on the eve of her big day.

She tied the knot with Tweed last month and the nuptials were captured on camera.

In the show, Goody wipes her eyes as she says: "If I die, (I'm) gonna miss all this."

Jade Goody has been confronted in her hospital bed by a woman armed with a hammer.

The intruder walked into the terminally ill reality TV star's room at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London, her spokesman Max Clifford said.

Her husband Jack Tweed had been visiting but had left her side for a few moments.

Clifford said: "Jack had been with her for a few hours and had gone to get a cup of tea in the canteen when this happened.

"She woke up to find this woman leaning over her.

"She was not hurt but was very shaken up as you can imagine."

Police confirmed the woman has been arrested over the incident.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: "We can confirm that police were called to the Royal Marsden Hospital Sunday afternoon by security to reports of an unknown woman being in a patient's room.

"Officers attended and a 41-year-old woman was searched and found in possession of a hammer and was arrested for possession of an offensive weapon and taken into custody at a west London police station where she remains in custody."

Security has been tightened around Jade's room as a result, Mr Clifford said.

The 27-year-old, who is dying from cancer, spent the day resting after a christeneing ceremony at the hospital on Saturday.

Her two sons Bobby, five, and Freddy, four, were christened alongside their mother in what Mr Clifford described as "a very short and emotional service".

He said completing the ceremony and getting married to Tweed meant the former Big Brother housemate done all she wanted to before she dies.

He said: "What she said to me was 'everything is in place now'."

Jade, who has been told she has only weeks to live, was diagnosed with cervical cancer in August last year.