Jeff Brazier reveals Freddy faces big life change after Celebrity Race Across the World
The TV star took on a 12,500km race from Brazil to Chile with his son
Watch Jeff Brazier reveal Freddy faces big life change after Celebrity Race Across the World
What did you miss?
Jeff Brazier has told how he wanted to do Celebrity Race Across the World with son Freddy before the teen flies the nest.
The TV star and his 19-year-old son are one of the four duos taking part in the new series of the BBC show, in which the teams must race 12,500km from Brazil to Chile. Brazier, who is also dad to 21-year-old Bobby, has now shared that he wanted to have the experience with Freddy before he moves out and makes his own way in the world, explaining: “I just know that my time to really get the most of both of them is coming to an end.”
Opening up on ITV’s This Morning, Brazier said he expected both Freddy and Bobby – his children with late Big Brother star Jade Goody – would have moved out soon. And he said it was “fantastic” to take on the epic challenge with Freddy before that.
What, how and why?
Brazier was on This Morning to present a competition segment and hosts Rochelle Humes and Joel Dommett brought up the race, commenting on how proud he must be of Freddy.
“He’s 19 and I feel like he’s going to move out soon as well as his brother,” said Brazier. “I’m not pushing them out by any stretch of the imagination but I just know that my time to really get the most of both of them is coming to an end.”
Bobby is already well known to TV viewers for starring as Freddie Slater in BBC soap EastEnders and for taking part in Strictly Come Dancing last year, and Brazier said it was now time for Freddy to have an adventure.
“Bob has had some incredible life experiences in his young years,” he said. “And I felt it was Freddy’s turn really for him to do something incredible. To share it with him was fantastic.”
What else did Jeff Brazier say about Race Across the World?
The star admitted it wasn’t all plain-sailing in the race, where they were up against radio DJ Scott Mills and his husband Sam Vaughan, model and TV presenter Kelly Brook and her husband Jeremy Parisi and Ted Lasso star Kola Bokinni and his cousin Mary Ellen.
“It wasn’t actually easy while we were out there,” Brazier said. “As much as I naively felt like Freddy’s the best team mate in the world, because there is no way we ever argue and we are so quick to kind of to resolve if anything happens at home.
"But actually there is something about the stress and the pressure of the language barrier, of not knowing where you are going, of feeling like, you know, this is actually really really difficult, living on that budget and making the decisions as a team.”
He went on: “But the truth is that Freddy's the best person I know, let alone the best person in the family, that I could have taken. I’m really glad that people get the opportunity to see the other child of mine.
“But also Fred, most importantly, gets a chance to see himself, and he’s the first to impress us but he is actually the last to realise why he is special. I think that’s why it is beautiful for him to have been on it.”
