Jeff Brazier fought back tears as he issued an emotional apology to his son Bobby for suppressing his mental health struggles for years. The ITV star, who shares sons Bobby and Freddy with the late Jade Goodey, opened up on Pete Wicks' Man Made podcast about the 'fake display' he maintained while raising his children alone.
Jeff Brazier's Emotional Apology
Speaking to Pete Wicks, Jeff became visibly emotional as he turned to Bobby, who was in the audience, and apologised for rarely showing his true feelings. "Can I tell you what happened when I really took the mask off?" Jeff said, before addressing his son directly. He expressed hope that Bobby knows it's okay to share his emotions, whether good or bad: "I'm proud to be a man that can show emotion. I hope he feels that validation that if he ever needs to, he can too."
Breakthrough in Therapy
Jeff revealed a breakthrough during a retreat where he finally named his struggles. Despite others celebrating their progress, Jeff felt 'fake' due to personal issues at home. During a check-in, he rated himself as 'one, heavy' while others gave eights, nines, and tens. "I was almost in tears by the time it got round to me," he recalled. "It gave me the chance to break down, and I did. I feel emotional now telling you about it."
He emphasised the importance of honesty: "It's better out than in. Then I got the support from everybody else that was there." Jeff noted that those around him 'started crying' as they resonated with his feelings, highlighting the 'strength of the fact that you've given people an outlet just by naming it and being honest'.
Redefining Leadership
Jeff reflected on the concept of leadership, stating: "What if the leader is the person that allows themselves to be as weak and vulnerable as they feel in that moment? I learned to do that, it was the first time I'd done it really, it felt good."
Background on Jeff Brazier
Jeff, 47, was married to Jade Goodey from 2002 to 2004 and raised their sons after her death from cancer in 2009. He later married PR executive Kate Dwyer in 2018 in Portugal after a 2017 engagement. The couple split in 2022, reconciled months later, but separated again in 2023. Jeff recently became a grandfather.
