Inside BBC Race Across the World favourites Jeff Brazier and son Freddy’s close bond
BBC's Celebrity Race Across the World star Jeff Brazier could not be prouder of his 'lovely and endearing' son Freddy, who admits he still needs his dad's support at 19
Jeff Brazier takes immense pride in his close bond with his youngest son Freddy.
The TV host, 45, recently embarked on an emotional adventure around South America with his youngest as part of the hit BBC reality show Celebrity Race Around The World. The series, which ends tonight, has seen four celebrity duos compete, with no credit cards or phones and just £1,100 in cash.
Jeff and Freddy have been fan favourites to win, with the pair opening up about their personal lives in front of the cameras, touching on the 19-year-old’s ADHD diagnosis, as well as the tragic death of Freddy’s mum, TV personality Jade Goody, who passed away from cervical cancer in 2009.
Jeff and Freddy competed in BBC’s Celebrity Race Across the World across South America (
Jeff Brazier/Instagram)
During the opening episode, Jeff – whose eldest son Bobby Brazier was on Strictly Come Dancing last year – spoke about his reasons for having signed up. He said that Freddy needs a “greater sense of purpose” and “self-worth”, and was keen for him to move out of their family home and find his passion.
The presenter said: “Fred likes living with me still, which is really cute and endearing in one respect, and on the other there needs to be a bit of an… I think it’s an escape plan.” Freddy added in the confessional scene: “I might be 19 but I still need my dad – and there, I’ve admitted that.”
Jeff, who rose to fame on Shipwrecked and This Morning, went on to share: “I’ve seen my son struggle. I know that what he needs is a greater sense of purpose, self-worth and confidence. So something like [Race Across the World], of course, we are gonna grab that with both hands.”
Jeff focused on his kids after their mum Jade Goody tragically died in 2009 (
Getty Images)
Freddy, 19, lives at home with his dad and has no idea what the future holds (
Instagram/jeffbrazier)
Later on in the series, Jeff emotionally shared that the world needs ‘pioneers’ like Freddy, who was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 10. He said: “I couldn’t hazard a guess on how Fred’s mind works but I know he’s going to do something amazing in his lifetime.
“We need the pioneers, we need the people that give a completely different opinion. That’s what Fred’s role is gonna be. And I see it. I’ve always seen it and I look forward to him realising it, one day it’s all gonna click and fall into place.”
In an interview with The Mirror last year, Jeff shared that Freddy has no idea what his future holds. He said: “He hasn’t really got a clue at the minute what he wants to do, but that’s fine,” adding: “I don’t think there’s a massive rush for him to work out what he’s going to dedicate the rest of his life to.”
Jeff also said: “What Freddy is an absolute professional at is just being lovely and endearing.” He said the teenager “always takes it upon himself to look after everyone else naturally”. And fans have seen it on their screens, with Freddy taking the reigns to look after his dad at times on their travels.
Jeff previously praised Freddy for being ‘lovely and endearing’ and always looking after others (
BBC)
In another episode of Race Across the World, Jeff acknowledged that he’d put all his focus into taking care of his boys after Jade’s sad death. He said: “I think when the boys lost their mum I really doubled down on putting all of my time, effort, attention and focus on my children.
“I needed to be there, helping them to navigate whatever the future was going to look like for them given their loss. And I’m still playing that role. But yeah the more Fred does for himself, I know that he can start to push on in life.”
Jeff previously told The Mirror that it was the “most natural decision” to keep Boddy and Freddy out of the public eye during their early years of grief. He said: “Grief is a very personal experience and I’ve always made sure they grieve in a way that’s natural. I don’t push things onto them or set any expectations.”
While Freddy hasn’t had his mum around, Jeff’s other half, PR executive Kate Dwyer, has been in their lives for the last decade. The couple began dating in 2013 and were together for four years before he popped the question. Bobby and Freddy were best men for their father on his wedding day in 2018.
Celebrity Race Across the World final airs tonight on BBC One at 9pm.
