TV presenter Jeff Brazier has warned that the British public could face sharing bathwater if water waste continues unabated. Fronting a public information film for the UK's biggest campaign to reduce water usage, the proud granddad is keen to future-proof supply for generations to come.
He says: "I'm guilty of taking long showers and leaving the tap on when I brush my teeth. But if we carry on the way that we are, the water will run low. It's not unlimited, like most people think. If we're not careful, there are going to be rules one day about only having one bath per household per day. All of a sudden you're back to Victorian times, where everyone's sharing that copper bath in the middle of the room."
Campaign Aims to Save 28 Litres Per Person Daily
The Let's Save Water campaign involves a partnership between water companies, the water regulator Ofwat, the Environment Agency, the Met Office and Natural Resources Wales. It aims to get every person in the UK to save 28 litres of water a day.
The campaign comes as the UK emerges from record June temperatures, attributed to climate change, with another heatwave forecast for next week.
Jeff, 47, who lives near Epping Forest in Essex, says: "I'm future-proofing for my children, for my granddaughter. I'm thinking about the world she's going to grow up in and I want it to be the best it can be."
Water Shortfall Projected to Reach Five Billion Litres by 2055
Dad to model and former EastEnders star Bobby, 23, and Race Across The World star Freddy, 21 — his children with Big Brother legend Jade Goody, who died from cervical cancer in 2009, aged 27 — Jeff became a granddad in March. He says: "England faces a projected daily water shortfall of five billion litres by 2055, as climate change and rising demand put supplies under increasing pressure."
Research from the Let's Save Water campaign found that just one in 10 adults in England and Wales understand how much water they use, while more than half believe water shortages are only short term. But scientists, environmental experts and industry leaders warn of increasing pressures on water resources, driven by climate change, population growth and rising demand.
Simple Behaviour Changes Can Protect Future Supplies
The campaign aims to encourage simple behaviour changes — from taking shorter showers to fixing dripping taps — to reduce water usage today, to protect supplies for the future.
Jeff, who shot to fame on reality show Shipwrecked in 2001, was drawn to the campaign because of his respect for nature, which he retreats to when experiencing tough times. Known for his advocacy work for grieving and single fathers, he says: "If I feel like I've got a lot on my mind, then I go for a walk. There are lots of different paths that I can take near where I live that will always help me to process, re-evaluate and find a solution to whatever it is that I'm experiencing."
Jeff Opens Up About Grief and Fatherhood
Openly emotional, this week Jeff burst into tears as he apologised to Bobby while recording the Pete Wicks podcast Man Made, saying he had suppressed his 'heavy' mental health issues for years. During lockdown Jeff, who is single after splitting with his wife, Kate Dwyer, in 2025 after roughly six years of marriage, set up regular Walk & Talk sessions, which he's continued to this day. He says: "They help me as much as they help others. There is a lot of isolation out there, and I wanted to give people the option of coming together in a community, which I feel is a basic human necessity."
Recently, it was reported that Jeff and Freddy's relationship had become strained following a dispute with Jade's mum, Jackiey Budden. "It's been a transition," Jeff says, after both his sons left home to start their own lives. He says: "I've gone through the grief of them not being there anymore. That leaves a big void, a big space for you to step into. It's scary at first."
Grief Not Exclusive to Death, Says Brazier
Jeff says he has grieved over their departure. He says: "Grief isn't exclusive to actually physically losing someone and them dying. It can actually be a separation. And it can be when your kids move out, where something was a permanent fixture and then all of a sudden it isn't. That takes adjustment and that's difficult."
Still seeing his sons regularly, while out in the US covering the FIFA World Cup for ITV's This Morning, he visited Bobby in New York. And he admits that he's had to change, saying: "I've been many different dads. The different stages of your kids' childhood require different versions of you. I don't know how much parenting I'm doing anymore really. At Bobby's, I stopped myself saying, 'You might want to pick up some of the things that you've got strewn across your bedroom floor'. That's boring now. I've been saying it for the last 20 odd years. I think they both want and should have a different version of me and that is one that they know they can always rely on, someone that's always going to show up."
Grandfatherhood Brings Joy Without Insecurities
Freddy had a daughter, Isla Jade, in March with his partner Holly Swinburn and Jeff helps when he can. He says: "I must say the term 'grandad' does feel slightly odd. But there is nothing more glorious than knowing that I've got a granddaughter and that she's beautiful, growing well and healthy. Nothing makes me feel more happy than that. With your grandchildren, you know what you're doing. All of those insecurities and feelings of inadequacy from being a parent aren't there. There's a complete absence of doubt or negativity around it."
Jeff, who appeared on Dancing On Ice in 2022 and SAS Who Dares Wins in 2019, also shares what he's learnt about parenting with Freddy. Jeff says: "First and foremost, be as present as you can. Keep working on yourself so that you're always giving Isla the best version of you."
Both challenging and rewarding, he is forever grateful for having the chance to be a dad and now a granddad. Of fatherhood, he says: "It hasn't always been the easiest of jobs. But I am most proud of it because it's pulled me, pushed me and sort of challenged me in ways that I didn't know a human being could be. And it continues to. They [his sons] are both my biggest teachers in life and probably always will be. Thanks to them, I feel particularly resourced and equipped for whatever life might throw. Whatever doesn't break you makes you stronger."
How to Save Water: Five Tips from Professor Ian Walker
Professor Ian Walker, an expert in public behaviour around water use, offers five water-saving tips:
- Fit and forget: Replace your showerhead with a low-flow head and you'll be using less water every time you shower, without even having to think about it again.
- Start today: Get those showers shorter. Just cutting two minutes off could save over 20 litres a day.
- Fix those leaks: Fix your leaky loo — they can easily get through more water in a day than you do; stop dripping taps.
- Make simple swaps: Use a washing-up bowl instead of a running tap; use a watering can instead of a hose; choose eco mode on your washing machine or dishwasher — it can get the job done with maybe just two-thirds of the water.
- Plan ahead: Install a dual-flush toilet when replacing your old one (and ask which button is the small flush!).
For more information on the Let's Save Water campaign and to watch the film, see letssavewater.com.
