Jeff Brazier: How He Navigated Sons' Grief & Feud After Jade Goody's Loss

When Jade Goody tragically lost her battle with cervical cancer at the age of 27, her ex-partner, Jeff Brazier, was thrust into the role of both mother and father to their young sons. At just 30 years old, Jeff faced the heart-wrenching task of informing five-year-old Bobby and four-year-old Freddie of their mother's passing.

Jeff took on the responsibility of raising the grieving boys, ensuring their mother's memory remained alive while forging his own path as a single parent. His dedication has undoubtedly borne fruit, resulting in a strong bond between him and his sons. Bobby and Freddie are full of admiration for their father's parenting skills.

Bobby, now a recognised name in his own right at 21, thanks to his time on *Strictly Come Dancing

and his role in *EastEnders*, is a testament to his father's guidance. Now, Freddie, at 19, steps into the limelight alongside his father as they embark on a journey together in *Celebrity Race Across the World*.

Jeff hopes that the shared experience will strengthen their already close bond. Speaking in the opening episode of the second series, the TV host says: "The thing I'm most looking forward to is I feel like I'm going to learn a lot more about my son. He isn't at home loads, and as a result, I don't see loads of him, but the beauty of this trip is that he's with me and he can't shake me off."

The couple, who met in 2002, were thrust into the public eye as their relationship, work commitments and parenthood unfolded. Their romance, however, was short-lived, ending when the boys were infants.

In 2008, Jade was diagnosed with cervical cancer while participating in the Indian version of *Big Brother*. She immediately returned to the UK for treatment, but the prognosis was bleak. Jeff, now 45, remembers Jade bravely informing their sons of her impending death.

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Becoming Both Mum and Dad

Jeff, a staunch advocate for supporting grieving children, shared his experience of those challenging months: "It's insanely unfair that they were robbed of someone that was such an incredible mum. I remember when Jade very bravely told them that she was going to be in heaven. For six months after that they were absolutely all over the place. From the moment your children are born and you hold them in your arms and you realise how small and fragile they are, I think you immediately become their protector. I very quickly realised that I was going to be responsible for the boys, for the rest of their childhood."

Jeff embraced this responsibility, aware of the dual role he now held, stepping into the void left by Jade's absence. "I've morphed into something quite different from your average dad," he later reflected. "I'm probably far more sensitive to their feelings and I'm far more aware of when they need emotional support. There are little side effects of my situation where you become really good at doing quite a lot on your own. I've got an ability to push myself beyond tiredness because if I don't do it, it doesn't get done."

Despite his unwavering commitment, the task of raising two grieving and confused boys was fraught with challenges.

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A Heartbreaking Statement

Jeff acknowledged the toll grief took on his sons, and how he often bore the brunt of their emotional outbursts. "The worst possible thing I’ve heard from both boys would be: 'I wish it was you that was dead and not mum.' My expectation was always that they’d take things out on me, but I didn’t know to what extent. I didn’t know as they grew older, what would be possible to come out of their mouths. Grief generates the worst possible feelings, it really clouds your judgement. The words they come out with, they're not always in control of and they're just saying them because what they're actually trying to say is 'Dad, help me'."

Jeff has diligently ensured that Jade's memory remains alive for his sons. On the 14th anniversary of her death in March 2023, he wrote: "The boys losing the most loving and protective mother any child could have hoped for at such a young age will never not feel ridiculously cruel. The most charismatic, loyal, inquisitive, adaptable and switched-on person I’ve known. Her strength lives on in her children and I wanted to take a moment to honour her this evening and share that with you."

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A New Chapter & Love

After years of prioritizing his boys' well-being, Jeff found love again in 2013 with PR consultant Kate Dwyer, and they married in 2018. Kate seamlessly stepped into the role of stepmother to Bobby and Freddie, earning Jeff's praise: "We've all learnt to adjust to each other. Kate has adjusted very well now to becoming a stepmum and what it entails. And the sacrifices that have to be made in order to give the children what they need first and foremost."

While their relationship faced a brief separation in 2022, they ultimately reconciled, with Kate becoming a familiar face in the *Strictly Come Dancing

audience last year, supporting her stepson Bobby and dance partner Dianne Buswell.

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A Touching Tribute

During Bobby's *Strictly

journey, he delivered a powerful Couple's Choice routine to Maxwell's "This Woman's Work", dedicated to the memory of his mother. "I’d love to spend a day with her just to see where I get my smile from," he shared in a pre-performance clip.

Jeff, overwhelmed with emotion, expressed his gratitude: "Loss makes you grow closer. I'm the lucky one, I'm the one who gets to bring the boys up, I'm the one who gets to watch him on *Strictly*. It brings so much joy to my life."

One notable absentee from the *Strictly

studio was Jackiey Budden, Jade's mother, amid rumours of a feud with Jeff. Jeff had previously criticised Jackiey's claims about her level of involvement with his sons, alleging an exaggeration of her time spent with them. Despite being excluded from the live *Strictly* audience, Jackiey travelled to Newcastle to witness Bobby perform during the tour, visibly emotional as she watched him dance.

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Mother's Son

Bobby, a versatile individual, has carved out a career for himself in modelling, acting in *EastEnders*, and captivating audiences on *Strictly*. He credits his mother for his modelling success, stating that he inherited her "lips, smile and eyes".

"I look like my mum, I'm always being told that by everyone. I have her lips and smile – and her eyes," he explained. "The rest of me is dad's. As I grow up I'm starting to look more like him."

Bobby didn't hesitate to acknowledge his father's unwavering support when he received a National Television Award for his performance in *EastEnders*. In his acceptance speech, he said: "This actually has very, very, very little to do with me and everything to do with my dad. Over the course of the last twenty years, I have consistently heard him say 'because I can.' It was a mantra or a motto of his, and him just saying that it's... Because I can."

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Staying Grounded

Jeff, while encouraging his sons' aspirations, has always emphasized the importance of humility and groundedness. During Bobby's *Strictly

journey, he shared: "As much as Bobby’s a dancer on *Strictly* these days, when he comes home, there’s a wash in the tumble dryer that I want him to fold up or I want him to help me to make dinner. These things just keep him grounded. I definitely feel like that's a big, big role. I need to make sure Bob has a balance and doesn't necessarily let himself float away. Although things are great, and we celebrate that, we also make sure we come back to being humble and making sure that as a family, we're all there for one another."

With Bobby's success paving the way, it's no surprise that Freddie is now venturing into television, following in the footsteps of both his mother and father.

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Unending Support

"Freddie has never loved school," Jeff explained. "He's not particularly academic. But I know that Freddie has some incredible traits and I know that his future will be absolutely wonderful, just simply because of his depth of emotional intelligence. And his caringness and consideration for others, that's all through the roof. So I know that he's going to be absolutely fine and be able to carve out whatever he wants to do."

Freddie, however, is determined to forge his own path and has vowed to never participate in *Big Brother

or *Strictly*, acknowledging those as his mother and brother's realms.

Speaking about his *Race Across the World

debut, Freddie declared: "I'm great at finding places without a map! I somehow always get to where I want to be."

With a family history steeped in television success and the unwavering support of his father and brother, Freddie's journey as a prime-time TV star seems a natural progression.