Miss Oruche, who has appeared in Hollyoaks and Footballers’ Wives, said she was struggling to come to terms with the mysterious death of her second cousin Chiamaka Nwabunie, known as Chi Chi.
The body of the 19-year-old, who was studying electrical engineering at Liverpool University, was discovered by a friend at the large terrace property in the city’s Aigburth district, where she was house-sitting.
Police called her death unexplained, but are not treating it as suspicious. They are awaiting the result of a post mortem.
“Chi Chi was bright, beautiful and very kind,” added the 39-year-old former model, now a presenter with BBC Radio Merseyside.
“She was healthy, clean-living, reliable and trustworthy, which is why I asked her to look after my home while I was away at a conference.
Chi Chi was bright, beautiful and very kind,
“She literally went to bed on Monday night and didn’t wake up.
“When she didn’t answer my calls I asked a friend to check on her and was told of her death by police. Chi Chi’s family and I are devastated by this loss and struggling to make sense of it.”
A university spokesman said: “We are extremely saddened by Chiamaka’s death.
“She was a very popular and enthusiastic student who had worked hard in her first year to further her academic studies.”
Miss Oruche is best-known for her role as Liberty Baker in ITV1’s Footballers’ Wives.
Last year she joined the cast of the Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks, playing Gabby Sharpe, but her character was later written out.
She also took part in the 2006 series of I’m A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!