Freddy Brazier, the youngest son of the late reality star Jade Goody, has sweetly revealed that his two-month-old daughter Isla 'has her grandmother's eyes.' The 21-year-old, whose on-off partner Holly Swinburn gave birth to their daughter in March, said, 'It's so lovely. She's definitely got mum's eyes, but I can see her mum in there, me, my dad, too.'
A Touching Tribute to Jade Goody
Brazier, son of TV presenter Jeff Brazier and the late Jade Goody, revealed after her birth that their newborn would be called Isla Jade, in touching tribute to the Celebrity Big Brother star, who died from cervical cancer on Mother's Day in 2009, when Brazier was just four years old.
Fatherhood Brings Change
Speaking at the Mind x The Ricky Hatton Foundation charity auction in London on Thursday, he said, 'Fatherhood's definitely changed me. I've grown up - well, a little bit. Isla's only a few months old, she's too small, she just makes cute little noises - but I'll definitely talk to her about mum when she gets older and understands more.' As for his dad Jeff, with whom Freddy took part in Celebrity Race Across the World in 2024, he says he may be a young grandad at 47, but he's a total natural. 'He absolutely loves it. Every second of it. Yeah, I'll definitely see dad this Sunday and make a fuss of him!'
Mental Health Journey
Brazier, who has ADHD and previously admitted he always felt 'different' throughout school because of it, has been very open about his own mental health struggles. He revealed last November that he spent his 18th birthday in a psychiatric ward and tried to 'end it all' after a manic episode, detailing how he struggled with disordered eating and heavy marijuana use. But the young dad, who has collaborated with Mind and says he 'loves' what the mental health charity stands for, says he's doing the work on himself now. 'It's really hard. But I don't think it's because I come from a family that's in the public eye. I've just developed very bad coping mechanisms over the years, not dealt with my issues in the correct way. Now that I'm a dad, I'm fighting against those.'
'I'm doing therapy - a lot of therapy. I'm staying healthy, by exercising, getting out into the fresh air and walking - I'm walking, all the time!' He adds, 'I do enjoy meeting strangers and having random conversations when I'm out and about. I initially get uncomfortable if someone sits beside me on a bus or a train, but I always strike up a conversation, and sometimes it can be really nice. It's good for me, too.' He also stops to chat to any homeless people he sees on walks, he says, as he realises so many others will just walk on by.
Missing Brother Bobby
One thing he's struggling with right now, however, is not visiting his big brother, former EastEnders star Bobby, 23, before he quit London recently for a new life in New York - though what Bobby's plans are out there are still under wraps. 'I'm really sad I didn't go and say goodbye, because now I really miss him. I'm waiting for that FaceTime call. I was just too in my own head, you know? But Bob's smashing it. I'm not too sure what he's doing out there yet, but he's doing well.' He says he'd love to visit him in the Big Apple at some point, adding poignantly, 'The last time I was in New York, I was in my mum's belly, isn't that crazy. So I'd love to actually see it. Rather than feeling the vibrations of New York, I want to see it with my own eyes.'
