Jeff Brazier reveals sons Bobby and Freddy visit Jade Goody’s grave ‘all the time’

The Big Brother star lost her battle with cervical cancer in 2009

Jeff Brazier, Jade Goody and their children

by Nathan Katnoria |
Updated on

Jeff Brazier has opened up about visiting Jade Goody’s grave with their sons Bobby, 17, and Freddy, 16, after she died of cervical cancer in 2009.

The TV presenter, who is now married to PR director Kate Dwyer, has spoken out about how his sons processed their loss, after qualifying as a grief counsellor six years ago to help parents learn how to cope with their grieving children.

Jeff has revealed he’s “proud” of how his sons coped with death of their mum, who passed away 11 years ago at just 27 years old.

He told The Sun, “We go to a special place, it's really not that far from where we are, and to be there in that environment, obviously we know that that is space and time to think about mum, to talk about mum, and to feel connected to her.

“[We visit] on all the special occasions. We go there as much as we can."

CHECK OUT: From Bermondsey to Big Brother - Remembering Jade Goody

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From Bermondsey to Big Brother: Remembering Jade Goody

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Click through to remember the ultimate Big Brother housemate...

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Jade first caught the attention of the Big Brother producers with her bizarre audition video – she thought it would be a good idea to introduce herself while manoeuvring her body through an elastic band. It must've worked though, because she became a contestant on series three in 2002.

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She quickly became known for her hilarious one-liners. She showed off her geographical knowledge with the question "Where's East Angular? I thought that was abroad."Jade thought Rio de Janeiro was a person, and had never heard of asparagus. Her housemates – and the British public – fell in love with her.

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Jade's antics in the house completely divided the nation. She'd gotten naked, reportedly had sex and many claimed to hate her. In fact, Channel 4 had received signs telling them to 'burn the pig' – but for every person who hated her, there were many more who loved Jade. She probably didn't help things with her exit outfit, though.

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Jade came fourth in her year of Big Brother, but went on to become undoubtedly the most successful housemate ever. At the height of her fame, Jade was worth somewhere between £2m and £4m. She owned nice houses and flash cars, and everything she put her name to sold. Her autobiography was a best-seller and her perfume outsold David and Victoria Beckham's. Not bad for a dental nurse from Bermondsey.

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In 2002 Jade met Jeff Brazier who'd shot to fame after appearing on Channel 4's Shipwrecked. They quickly became a golden couple and had two children together, Bobby Jack and Freddy. But things didn't work out, and Jade and Jeff broke up in 2004.

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In 2007 Jade re-entered the Big Brother house for the celebrity version. She took part with her then-boyfriend Jack Tweed and her mum Jackiey Budden. But it wasn't long before Jade became embroiled in a bitter war with Indian actress Shilpa Shetty. The nation turned against Jade. Most of the country accused her of racially abusing Shilpa, as they argued about petty things like OXO Cubes. For the first time in Big Brother history, there was no studio audience present for Jade's eviction – as producers feared for her safety.

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In 2007 Jade told Closer: "Last year, everything I touched turned to gold. My perfume was outselling the Beckhams' and I was at the peak of my career, so I was probably due a tumble. I didn't expect it to be so bad, but it's made me stronger."

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Jade made the decision to appear on the Indian version of Big Brother, Bigg Boss, in 2008. Shilpa was the presenter and, by this point, she and Jade had worked things out, with Shilpa insisting she never felt Jade had been racist. But shortly after her entrance, Jade was called into the diary room and told she had cervical cancer.

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In February 2009, Jade's publicist confirmed her cancer was terminal and she had just months to live. To the surprise of some, Jade documented her final months with interviews, a new autobiography and a reality TV show. She said at the time: "I always wanted my sons to have what I never could. I want to make as much money as possible to look after my boys. I know I'm ignorant, but I'm going to make sure my boys get the best education."

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One of Jade's final wishes was to marry Jack. On 22 February she and Jack exchanged vows, and she sold the rights of the pictures to a magazine for £700,000. In early March 2009 Jade asked to be baptised and had her sons christened. Then on Mother's Day 2009, Jade died in her sleep. Thousands of people flocked to watch her funeral in Essex. Her sons didn't attend the funeral, as Jeff took them to Australia to escape the media.

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During the final episode of Big Brother on Channel 4 presenter Davina McCall introduced a 15-minute video montage of Jade's life, branding her the ultimate Big Brother housemate.

Jade Goody and Jeff Brazier
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Speaking about the public support for his sons in the wake of their mum’s death, Jeff continued, “It’s lovely that there have been so many people that I think have kind of sort of invested in these children over the years. And I think that it's nice that obviously people were so involved when they lost their mum.

"For them to see that nearly 12 years on, they're doing well and they're thriving," he added. "They know that that's exactly what she would want."

"And I think there's a satisfaction in that, not just for me and my family, but for everybody that ever followed their mum. They just basically wanted to see these kids do okay. And we can see that they are. And I think that that's nice for everybody to see."

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Jeff and Jade began dating in 2002 and were together for two years before they split.

Following the reality star’s death, Jeff gained full custody of his sons and has raised them as a single dad ever since.

The 41-year-old married his wife Kate in 2018after five years of dating and has praised her for being an “amazing” stepmum to Bobby and Freddy.

“We've all learnt to adjust to each other,” he told MailOnline before their wedding.

“Kate has adjusted very well now to becoming a step mum and what it entails. And the sacrifices that have to be made in order to give the children what they need first and for most."

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