Dolce Vita star Anita Ekberg dies

Anita Ekberg, star of La Dolce Vita, has died aged 83, according to several reports. The Swedish-born actress was branded a "sex goddess" for her performance in Federico Fellini's iconic movie.

A former Miss Sweden, she also appeared in films such as Blood Alley and War and Peace.

The star died in Rome this morning, reported La Stampa, having been in hospital for some time in the clinic San Raffaele in Rocca di Papa.

Ekberg was born on 29 September 1931, in Malmö, Skåne, the eldest girl and the sixth of eight children. In her teens, she worked as a fashion model. In 1950, Ekberg entered the Miss Malmö competition at her mother's urging leading to the Miss Sweden contest which she won. She consequently went to the United States to compete for the Miss Universe 1951 (an unofficial pageant at that time, the pageant was official in 1952) title despite not speaking English.