Jeff Brazier says he was 'worried' about sons Freddy and Bobby after Jade Goody's death
Jeff Brazier has opened up about the heartbreaking months following the death of Jade Goody, revealing how he worried about the impact of their mum’s loss on their sons, Bobby and Freddy.
The Big Brother star died in March 2009, aged 27, after being diagnosed with cervical cancer. She shared her two sons with her former partner Jeff, who has spoken candidly about navigating their grief while trying to keep Jade’s memory alive.
Reflecting on the early stages of their bereavement, Jeff admitted he was concerned when the boys did not appear to be openly grieving.
“I remember saying to friends it’s been six or seven months and they still haven’t really burst into tears or cried for their mum and I’m worried that that’s all gonna really hit them hard," he told the On the Mend podcast. "Or I’m also worried that they’re not remembering her and I took that as my sort of primary responsibility to be honest. To make sure that her memory lived on.”
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He revealed that the boys’ grief became more apparent several months later.
“It took to eight or nine months in for them to actually really fall apart.”
The TV presenter also explained how difficult it was to distinguish between grief and changes in his sons’ behaviour, as he tried to provide stability while allowing them space to process their emotions.
“It was really hard to know the line between bad behaviour and grief. I always felt like ‘It’s really important for me to maintain the same kind of discipline routine that we had before, the least amount of changes the better’, but also always to make sure that there was an opportunity for them to talk about anything that they were upset about.”
The father-of-two admitted that supporting the boys through their loss was particularly challenging when they were not ready to talk about their mum or seek help.
“What I found really difficult is you can’t make two bereaved boys talk about their mum if they’re not ready to and if they don’t want to and that’s really difficult I think for the surviving parent because you know it’s your responsibility to aid their grief, to help them to process the reality, the emotions, to be an open sort of container for that, but what if they don’t want to talk? What if they don’t want to go to therapy? You instantly feel like you’re failing.”
He said he was conscious of not ‘doubling down’ or being ‘too insistent’ when trying to help his sons navigate their grief, describing the experience as an incredibly difficult part of fatherhood.
“It’s just the trickiest and the most undesirable sort of situation that you can find yourself in as a dad.”
The former couple’s eldest son Bobby was just five-years-old when his mum passed away and has since made a successful career in TV, and as a model.
The National TV Award winner was asked about his mum during an interview with The Times about how much he remembered about his mum.
"Not a whole lot," he replied.
"Maybe memories of memories. I’m always being told about her and what she meant to people. I guess I know my mum through other people’s memories of my mum."
In a previous interview with The Face, when asked if he missed her, Bobby said: "I don’t. Because I don’t feel like I was with her long enough to miss her."
He went on: "I feel like it’s unfair. I miss what could’ve been. I hear all the time she was such a presence, that she was one of a kind. What hurts most is that it wasn’t just losing anyone, it was losing Jade."
Freddy has also spoken publicly about his struggles with addiction and his mental health, having spent his 18th birthday in a psychiatric ward after being diagnosed with psychosis following prolonged cannabis use. Jeff’s comments come shortly after Freddy revealed he had spent some of the money he and his father were given to take part in the BBC reality series Celebrity Race Across the World on drugs.
The 2024 series followed the father-and-son duo as they travelled from Belém, in Brazil, to Frutillar, in Chile, with a shared budget of £2,200.
Freddy later reflected on the challenges he faced while filming, admitting he ‘wasn't in the place mentally’ to take part in the show as he continued to navigate the loss of his mother.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677
Topics: Celebrity, Bobby Brazier
Greg Harris