from www.thesun.co.uk – DISTRAUGHT Heidi Fleiss is hiding a heartache in the Celebrity Big Brother house – her brother Jason drowned days before the show began.

The Hollywood madam considered pulling out of her commitment after the tragedy.

And her stay in the house means she will miss Jason’s funeral.

But she was persuaded to go ahead with the C4 reality show by long-term love Dennis Hof.

He told Heidi it was what her brother would have wanted.

Hospital medicine specialist Jason was swept out to sea by a strong current while on holiday in Hawaii over the New Year.

He was swimming with Heidi’s other brother Jesse, who was saved by a surfer.

To add to ex-jailbird Heidi’s grief, the tragedy happened just two days before her 44th birthday.

Hof, owner of the Moonlite Bunny Ranch brothel in Nevada, said: “Heidi was so devastated she almost pulled out of Celebrity Big Brother.

“She said, ‘I loved Jason. I don’t want to be disrespectful to him.’ I told her she needed to get away and stay busy so she does not have time to dwell on this awful thing.”