Bobby Brazier’s desperation over brother Freddy’s latest move and hidden family struggle
As Freddy Brazier's reported feud with his dad Jeff is thought to be rumbling on, a source has revealed what his older brother, EastEnders star Bobby, thinks of the family divide.
Bobby Brazier is said to be feeling ‘stuck in the middle’ of the alleged feud between his brother Freddy and dad Jeff(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images for Percival)
The alleged feud between Freddy Brazier and his dad Jeff has left Freddy’s older brother, EastEnders star Bobby, sad and praying for his family to be reunited, a source has told Mirror.
The brothers – the sons of late TV personality Jade Goody – previously enjoyed a tight-knit relationship with each other and their TV presenter father, but in recent weeks 20-year-old Freddy has reportedly been living with his maternal grandmother, Jackiey Budden. The aspiring model was allegedly seen “smoking a joint” with Jackiey, 68, who has a history of drug abuse.
“Bobby wants the family to be reunited, he hates the divide. Bobby and Freddy both love their grandmother very much, she’s Jade’s mum and a connection they have to her – it’s all the more poignant and sad given that it was their mum’s birthday on 5 June,” claims the source.
The source continues, “But Jeff is livid over the whole thing. He feels that he has brought the kids up single-handedly and Jackiey is a bad influence. Drugs are not something Jeff wants the boys around and he’s not happy with the whole situation.”
Freddy is said to be living apart from his dad Jeff (pictured together) and spending more time with his grandmother, Jackiey Budden(Image: BBC)
Pictures of Jackiey and Freddy together surfaced just days before what would have been Jade’s 44th birthday. Jade, who was a contestant on Big Brother in 2002, tragically passed away seven years later, aged 27, following a battle with cervical cancer.
She was in a relationship with Jeff for two years up until their 2004 split, with Jeff going on to raise their two children following her death.
However, Jeff has had a long-standing feud with Jade’s mum. Previously he said that during his sons’ childhoods, Jackiey would spoil them with “unsuitable” gifts, claiming she once bought Freddy a hamster without checking with him, and supplied the boys with mobile phones during a visit. “I just wish we could work together a little better,” he said in 2012.
However, the relationship later broke down completely and Jackiey didn’t see her grandsons for a period of time, before regular visits began again. “As she settled in herself, the boys kept a lot of contact with her and at the moment she’s very helpful and very prominent in their lives,” said Jeff in 2014.
Things have once again turned sour between the pair, however, with Jackiey claiming in 2023 that she’d had to buy her own ticket for the National Television Awards where Bobby was being honoured with the Rising Star award. Asked about her thoughts on Jeff by reporters, Jackiey bluntly retorted, “He’s a c**t.” She added, “He has been one for f**king nine years.”
Freddy – pictured with brother Bobby, dad Jeff and stepmum Kate Dwyer – has been known to have a tight-knit bond with his dad(Image: Instagram/jeffbrazier)
Now, more than a decade after Jade’s tragic death, the source claims a family feud is the last thing she would have wanted.
“Jade wouldn’t have wanted a divide within the family, it’s the last thing she saw for them. This time of year is already difficult enough without any extra drama. The boys always remember Jade together and it’s not nice doing it with drama over their heads.”
In what appeared to be another snub to the family, Freddy is thought to have skipped his older brother’s 22nd birthday last week. As the actor marked the milestone with loved ones including dad Jeff, 46, and stepmum Kate, his sibling was noticeably absent. However, Freddy did acknowledge Bobby’s birthday on Instagram.
And last Friday, days after he was spotted smoking what appeared to be a joint with Jackiey, Freddy revealed he was checking into rehab. He wrote in his Instagram Stories that he was going to be “cutting down” as he headed to a rehab centre in Marbella.
“I’ve been smoking from the age of 12 and it’s time to stop,” he wrote. “It was a bad coping mechanism that turned into an addiction – something I relied on and something that made me feel sane and somewhat OK.“
Continuing that he had found a rehab centre where he could heal, Freddy added, “I want to be clean so I can live life happily and have healthy relationships with people and be there for all of my family rather than feeling like I’m in the middle and have to choose a side. I haven’t been able to feel love properly as I have never loved myself and it starts now. I want to play football and take up boxing. I want to be happy and be in a healthy relationship and have a healthy relationship with my Nana and my father.”
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Explaining that Bobby and Freddy remain close, but are struggling with the family dynamic, the source claims, “It’s difficult for Bobby and for Freddy as brothers, especially considering Bobby’s success in recent years with Strictly and EastEnders – Freddy feels like he’s fallen into the background.
“It’s a case of him rebelling against it all. But they are really close as siblings and Bobby wants more than anything for his brother to come home and for the family to be back together again. He hates seeing his dad so anxious.”
While Bobby has carved out a successful TV career, Freddy’s profile is also on the rise. He describes himself as a “model and TV personality” and appeared on Celebrity Race Across The World alongside Jeff.
Jeff welcomed Freddy and Bobby with reality star Jade Goody, who tragically passed away from cervical cancer in 2009(Image: Getty Images)
On the show, Freddy and Jeff’s close relationship was clear for viewers to see, but it appears that things with Jackiey could be jeopardising that.
Jeff has reportedly taken legal action in a bid to prevent Jackiey from seeing Freddy, citing concerns over his wellbeing.
However, it has been claimed that the move has backfired on Jeff, with a source claiming recently, “Jeff was never going to keep Freddy away from his nanny for very long – they’ve always had a strong bond. Jeff may hate her for all sorts of reasons going back many years, but Freddy loves her very much.”
Meanwhile, our source maintains that Bobby is stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to his dad, brother and grandmother.
“Both the boys love Jackiey and have a close relationship with her, but Freddy is closer to her. He loves going to her flat and having time together. Bobby is happy to stay home with his dad and respect his wishes, but Freddy doesn’t feel the same way, so Bobby feels stuck in the middle. He wants them all to be a family.”
