Jeff Brazier reflects on ‘ridiculously difficult’ relationship with Jade Goody
Jeff Brazier looked back on his "difficult" relationship with the late Jade Goody, admitting he felt "the odds were stacked against" them despite fighting to make it work.
Presenter Jeff Brazier candidly opened up about his “difficult” two-year relationship with Jade Goody, sharing that they were “fighting a losing battle” before calling it quits in 2004. The pair, who met in 2002, had been thrust into the spotlight following Jade’s appearance on Big Brother and Jeff’s stint on Shipwrecked.
They welcomed two children together, Bobby, 20, and Freddie, 19, but split when the boys were just babies.
Reflecting on the breakdown of their relationship, Jeff, 44, told podcast host Giovanna Fletcher: “Relationships are really difficult generally, but ours was ridiculously difficult. She was a huge, strong character going through a huge transition in her life going from a childhood which was a lot harder than your average.
“You had two parents who wanted so badly for our children to have what we didn't, and we fought for it and battled so hard to stay together...The truth was I think the odds were stacked against us.”
Jeff noted that while their relationship was “difficult enough as it was”, their issues were “magnified” due to “intrusive” media attention.
The presenter continued on the Happy Mum Happy Baby podcast: “As time went by, it became more obvious to us that we were fighting a losing battle, and it was probably starting to really affect our mental health.
“I was really stressed, and I felt helpless because when I met Jade, I saw a side that nobody else had the benefit of seeing. It was the last thing that she wanted to show people because that was her vulnerability, but she gave me the right to see it and it was beautiful.
“She was an incredible person and I got it, she’d had such a difficult childhood that she wasn’t always going to be easy to be with, and I accepted that. But it just got to a point that I was powerless to help her. She had to find that herself.”
Despite their separation, Jeff says they remained a team in bringing up their children, especially after Jade’s devastating cancer diagnosis.
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The reality star was diagnosed with cervical cancer in August 2008 and received the news while she was taking part in the Indian version of Big Brother.
By February 2009, she was terminally ill after the cancer metastasized and spread to her liver, bowel and groin. She died weeks later aged just 27.
Bobby, who was just five-years-old at the time, paid tribute to his mother last year by dedicating his Strictly Come Dancing Couple’s Choice routine to her.
The EastEnders actor and his partner Dianne Buswell received a standing ovation for their dance to This Woman’s Work by Maxwell. In a clip aired before he performed, Bobby said Jade’s death “changed my life completely”.