Jeff Brazier shares heartbreaking lesson he learned with Freddy on Race Across The World years after Jade Goody’s death
JEFF Brazier has opened up about a tough lesson he learned years after losing Jade Goody, the mother of his two sons.
Jeff, a TV presenter, took on the role of raising their sons when bubbly Jade tragically passed away from cervical cancer in 2009.
At the age of just 30, heartbroken Jeff had to break the news of Big Brother star Jade’s death to five-year-old Bobby and Freddy, then four.
Reflecting on how his life has changed, he said he focused on being the best father he could be and he’s proud of how he managed to strike a balance.
The qualified life coach tells us: “I think when the boys lost their mum it was all about coping.
“So the jobs that were right for me were the ones that meant I could be home to pick the kids up from school.
“It lent itself to having the time to study, and so I went on to gain qualifications, and I still enjoy that.
“But it’s been a juggle. What I’m happy about is that we have lots of different ways of coping, but work life balance is really important because of my situation with my children.
“And I am really proud that I’ve got that balance right because I could have worked too much, I could have been too interested in how much I was making.
“I’m proud that I got the balance right between all of those things.”
However, his sons are now grown up and the TV star admitted he sometimes lost himself in the grind of being a parent, and there were moments he took life too seriously as a result.
EastEnders star Bobby, now 21, is a household name after a stint on Strictly Come Dancing.
Freddy, 20, has also had his moment in the spotlight, taking part in Celebrity Race Across the World with Jeff.
Speaking about the experience, Jeff said he was surprised at what he learned about himself.
He adds: “It’s difficult to have to parent on camera.
“I didn’t want to do that. Even though your sons and children are heading into their young adult life and there is still a word to be said, it was tricky.
“When you’re a husband and wife on Race (Across The World) you can hold each other equally, but there were times when as a parent you are responsible, it’s not quite 50/50, and there is that extra weight of responsibility.”
This Morning star Jeff, who married wife Kate in 2018, said he wouldn’t have taken anyone else on the BBC One show and he hopes it has brought him and Fred closer together.
“I would never take anyone but Fred. I would take him every time,” he went on.
“What I didn’t realise was that there was so much for me to gain as well.
“One of the things I really learned about myself is that I wasn’t being playful enough, that things had got too serious.
“I’d forgotten how to be light sometimes.”
The star, who has teamed up with Butlins to share the news of their new state-of-the-art PlayExperience centre, continued: “So the fact that we’re here experiencing all these wonderful things, the fact we’ve played digidarts together, and shuffleboard, these are the things I’ll go home feeling good about, because we’re together and connected.
“When your kids are 20 and 21 those oppportunies are fewer and far between.”
A brand-new £15M indoor activity centre has opened at Butlin’s Bognor Regis resort.
The state-of-the-art attraction is equipped with activities including TechPutt, Escape Rooms, VR-cade, Glow Pong, Shuffleboard, Laser Tag, Batting Cage, Neo Games and Digi Darts, alongside a café and bar.
To find out more please visit PLAYXPERIENCE.