Freddy Brazier has revealed he used his Celebrity Race Across The World budget to buy drugs while filming in Brazil. The son of Jade Goody and Jeff Brazier said filming took place around Mother's Day, a time when he wished to be alone to remember his mum, who died in 2009 after a battle with cervical cancer.
The 22-year-old said he wasn't in "the right place for it" during filming. Contestants are given a small budget by the BBC to help them cope while filming in various parts of the world. But Freddy, who competed on the programme with his dad, has now said that he used the cash to purchase cannabis, which he smoked on the beach.
Freddy's confession on podcast
Freddy and Jeff finished in third place, behind Scott Mills and his husband Sam Vaughan. Speaking on The Terry Stone Connection podcast, Freddy said: "It come at a bad time to be honest. Like the week before the master interviews, I'd had quite an extreme episode, and I calmed down by the time of the interviews."
He added: "But I think I'd come down from Birmingham. I was seeing a girl from Birmingham at the time, and I had smoked up there the night before the master interviews like a d***head after promising my dad I wasn't going to come there being high." Freddy went on to say that he turned up to the interview "knackered" after not sleeping, and he had a considerable amount of makeup on to cover the bags under his eyes.
Mother's Day incident
Freddy explained that he knew filming would take place around Mother's Day, and he wanted to be alone, rather than having cameras in his face. On Mother's Day, he went swimming in the sea and watched the sunset, something he says was "beautiful". Freddy and those around him then clapped as the sun set.
But later that night, he found himself climbing out of the hotel window, with the receptionist telling him that the location "wasn't the safest area". Freddy explained: "I was like, 'I'm okay, I'm okay,' and I've gone to the beach and we'd seen these people before, they were couples and they make bracelets. And they bought me a beer and I've taken some money out of the budget we were given and I've went and bought myself a three five [cannabis] in Brazil on Mother's Day."
Regret and reflection
He says he smoked the cannabis on the beach with the bracelet makers while gazing up at the stars. Although he says the experience was "beautiful," Freddy acknowledges it was the wrong decision. "I was very selfish. And looking back and reflecting as I'm speaking, I was very selfish to do so because that could have cost us the show," he said.
However, he says that he "needed" to smoke the cannabis as he felt as though he was about to be "kicked off the show". "I wasn't in the greatest headspace. I didn't want to be filmed on Mother's Day," he said. Freddy has been open about his struggles with mental health and substance usage, having previously disclosed that he was sectioned after battling manic episodes.
Last year, he said: "I've been smoking since I was 12. I've been to rehab, I've been sectioned, I've had manic episodes. There's been a real journey and it's been a tough one." He later added that smoking had been a "bad coping mechanism that turned into an addiction." However, Freddy later sought rehabilitation treatment, but just days later, he said that he didn't need rehab. "I just need a holiday with a good group of boys or a retreat," he said. The Mirror approached Race Across The World's spokesperson and Freddy's team for comment.
