'Race Across The World': Jeff Brazier Opens Up on Parenting After Jade Goody's Death

Jeff Brazier has candidly discussed the parenting challenges he faced after the death of Jade Goody, revealing how he "completely lost the ability to play" while shouldering the responsibility of raising their two sons for 15 years.

The TV presenter, currently competing on BBC One's *Celebrity Race Across The World

alongside his youngest son Freddy, spoke openly about how living with grief had impacted their family dynamic and relationship.

Brazier and Goody, a former *Big Brother

star, were together from 2002 to 2004 and had two sons, Freddy and Bobby, who later went on to become an *EastEnders* actor. Goody tragically passed away from cervical cancer in 2009, leaving Brazier to raise their young sons, aged four and five at the time.

In the latest episode, Brazier shared, "Independence for Fred is the name of the game, really. I think when the boys lost their mum, I really doubled down on putting all of my time, effort, attention, focus on my children. I needed to be there helping them navigate whatever the future was going to look like for them given their loss. I'm still playing that role."

He added, "But the more Fred does for himself, I know that he can start to push on in life...I really hope this sends him home with a fresh belief in himself and what he can do and what he should try."

Freddy, who has been growing closer to his father during the race, acknowledged his father's sacrifices: "At the time I lost my mum, Dad had to push his feelings and all of that aside to be there for me and my brother. At times where I've pushed him away, he's pulled even harder to bring me back in. I have not been that close with him for a long time now. But I actually quite love being around him."

Freddy continued, "I don't think I praise my dad enough or thank my dad enough for everything he's done for me. I should, he knows the love. But I don't tell him enough."

The duo's heartwarming journey on *Celebrity Race Across The World

has seen them overcome challenges and strengthen their bond. However, the race has also highlighted Brazier's need to find a balance between responsibility and rediscovering his playful side.

"It's hard to switch off and I'm being too serious," he admitted. "Just everything's responsibility, that's what it's been for a long time. I think as a man you probably don't rate your chances of coping so you do what comes naturally to you which is take all the responsibility and just focus on the situation. I've absolutely 100% lost the ability to play, but I think that it's something that I need to regain. I need Freddy to show me, really. And I need to get back to what I used to be. I'm sure that's possible."

Meanwhile, tensions continued to rise between Kelly Brook and her husband Jeremy Parisi as their contrasting approaches to the race caused friction.

Despite taking an expensive taxi earlier in the journey, they found themselves stranded, waiting for a budget bus after their funds ran low.

Brook questioned their decision, "If we hadn't have taken that expensive taxi would we have been able to afford to get on the nine o'clock bus?" to which Parisi confirmed, "Yes."

The situation became even more stressful when Scott Mills and Sam Vaughan arrived at the same bus station, having opted for a cheaper, more efficient travel method. Mills observed, "We saw them get in that taxi, they've gone no further. That was hours ago."

Mills and Vaughan were initially facing their own hurdle - being unable to change currency - but managed to secure assistance from a group of Mormon missionaries.

This sparked further frustration for Brook who exclaimed, "Oh my god they're picking on the Mormons babe. They can't ask the Mormons! The Mormons are 100% going to help them. That's not fair."

As Mills and Vaughan boarded the bus, Brook admitted, "I can't watch. It's painful. I can't watch, babe."

The experience left Brook questioning her life choices, while Parisi tried to reassure her, "It's not the end of the world, we are not bad." Brook, however, expressed her stress, "How can it be much worse? I've got a mouth ulcer. The stress is real."

*Celebrity Race Across The World

continues on BBC One at 9pm on Wednesday.