TRAGIC BIG BROT
SAY the name Jade Goody to any reality TV fan of a certain age, and they will perform facial gymnastics.
First they’ll smile, then look troubled, then smile again before finally sighing sadly.
They’re remembering how funny and spirited the Big Brother star Jade was, that she was flawed and made huge mistakes.
Then she learnt and came back from them, but finally and tragically her life was cut short.
She was just 27 when she died from cervical cancer on Mother’s Day 2009, leaving two young sons, Bobby (then five) and Freddie ( four).
Her mum Jackiey explained in Jade’s book: Forever in My Heart: The Story Of My Battle Against Cancer: “Of all her achievements, Bobby and Freddie are the ones that Jade is most proud of.
“They became her world and the money from her fame let her give them the life she never had.
“I was in the GMTV green room once with Jade and Bobby, when he was about eight or nine months old.
“No offence to my own child, but Bobby was the best looking baby I have ever seen.”
Charisma
She continued: “His mum was absolutely delighted with him of course, almost mesmerised by him – but so was everyone else in the room. “The kid had bucketloads of charisma and he wasn’t even a year old.
“As he grew, his X factor was obvious to all, not least Jade.”
In her book, she wrote about going to see her eldest son performing in December 2008.
She explained: “Bobby’s school play was at 4pm. It’s a nativity play in the local church and he is singing in a choir.
“He was fantastic — a real natural on stage. Afterwards I gave him a big hug and told him how proud I was.
“Bobby is such a little star.”
Whilst Bobby had the genes — dad Jeff Brazier is also a TV star — the looks, and the first few years of his life were spent on sets, in dressing rooms and doing OK! magazine shoots. It’s was always been pretty clear what his future had in store for him.
He’s about to win telly viewers over on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, but has already triumphed this week at the National Television Awards.
Moment
There he picked up the Rising Star Award for his role as Freddie Slater in EastEnders.
It was quite a moment. For him, and his family, yes, but also for everyone who remembers that poignant shot of Bobby and Freddie in their father’s arms on the steps of Jade’s hospital, wearing matching Ugg boots.
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