SIXTEEN years ago to the day, Jack Tweed was coming to terms with losing the love of his life.
His wife of just one month – legendary reality TV star Jade Goody – had just passed away on Mother’s Day of all days after a very public battle with cervical cancer, leaving Jack heartbroken.
Today Jade is very much on Jack’s mind as the wellbeing of her two sons is at the centre of a legal battle that threatens to rip the family apart – something he believes Jade would not have been happy about.
The father of Jade’s children, Jeff Brazier, 45, is fighting to prevent his son Freddy, 20, from seeing his grandmother Jackiey Budden with an insider alleging their relationship has been “detrimental to him”;.
The news has hit Jack hard and as he sits and chats to us from the sanctuary of his parents home in Essex, his concern and love for the boys is evident.
Adding to the weight on his shoulders, Jack is coming to terms with the loss of his own child after his partner, Ellie Sargeant, tragically miscarried their baby, who would have been due this month.
He’s not entirely surprised that Jeff has resorted to legal action to protect the youngster, admitting that Jade's mum Jackiey doesn’t always make the right choices.
He tells us he has been in touch with Freddy, who recently revealed he has bi-polar, saying he's “not in a good place”.
Despite that Jack – who was a huge part of Bobby and Freddy’s early life – is insistent Jade wouldn’t want her mum to be spoken badly of or cut out completely.
Discussing the situation, Jack revealed he had been in touch with Jeff, telling us: “First of all, Jackie has been through a lot herself, which everyone forgets.
“She obviously lost use of her arm and had a motorbike crash and lost people close to her when she was younger and then she lost her daughter as well, so she has had a hard life.”;
He continued: “Jade wasn't shy about her upbringing. The stuff that went on with Jackiey... maybe at the minute, Jackiey isn't in the right place to see the boys and bring them up because she doesn't make the right decisions sometimes and she might let the boys get away with things that most parents wouldn't.
“I think Jeff has finally had enough now where he's been been doing the right thing and obviously it's her nan, they love their nan and it's Jade's mum, so you can't stop him seeing her, seeing he never wanted to, but I think he's just got to the stage now where he's not really got too much choice.
“He's just concentrating on the well-being of Freddy rather than making sure Jackiey's all right and seeing the boys.”;
It’s clear Jade’s feelings are still at the very forefront of Jack’s mind as he admitted: “It’s hard cos I'd never ever sit here and slag Jackiey off because I wouldn't ever do that to Jade, it's not fair on Jade. Jade wouldn't like that.”;
The final straw for Jeff is said to be after Freddy spent two weeks straight at Jackiey's flat.
Jackiey, who still smokes cannabis, has hit back and believes that at 20 Freddy is able to make up his own mind.
She insisted to the Mail: “My house is safe for Freddy, and it always has been since he was little.
“The boy is an adult now, and Jeff treats him like he’s ten. It made sense seven years ago when Freddy was still 13 when Jeff first tried to stop him from seeing me, but now he’s 20 years old.
“What possible basis does he have? And do you know what? He’s a clever boy Freddy. He’s not stupid.”
Jack knows how determined Jade was to create a better life for her boys, even down to raising enough money to put them both through private school in the months before her death, and she would always put them first – even if it meant them not seeing her mum.
“Obviously, she's not going to be over the moon about what's going on, but at the same time she knew she struggled with her childhood with Jackiey, so she knew she wouldn't want the same for her boys.
“Her whole life the main thing was she didn't want her boys having the same upbringing as what she did, which obviously they haven't, they've had a nicer upbringing with Jeff, but she wouldn't want Jackiey doing things that she wouldn’t have with the boys.”;
Jack has remained in touch with Bobby and Freddy throughout their lives, but admits that Freddy in particular has struggled seeing him.
“With Freddy, I haven’t seen him for a while because I think it was tough for him. Where I'm mostly connected to his mum, I think it was a bit tough for him to see me because it would bring back a lot of memories,”; Jack explained.
“It was hard for him, but I think he's ready and in the right place for me to see him, so I have been speaking to him quite often lately, so we are sorting out like when we're gonna meet up, go for some lunch or something.”;
Jack has been through his own fair share of tough times over the years but says he finally feels happy again.
He doesn’t know if or when he will try for another baby with Ellie as he’s struggling with loss.
“I've always wanted a family, so one day I would like to try again, but when you lose a baby, you don't really want to happen straight away again.
“I've had enough of losing people and I just don't wanna be sad anymore.”;
He previously lost a baby with Jade when she miscarried.
Jack – who is now working as an electrician – isn’t sure he’ll ever marry again, admitting: “It’s tough to talk about. In my head I've always thought, I've met the one. Jade was the one, and I married her and that was it.
“I don't know whether I'd get married, to be honest, because I just don't know if I'll be ready for that because it's just the thought of being married – and I know it sounds horrible, I don't want to sound horrible – and it not being Jade.
“It would just bring back so many memories, I don't know if I didn't like it, to be honest.”;
Jack continues to keep Jade’s memory alive and regularly visits her grave.
Every anniversary, whether it’s their wedding date, her birthday or the day she died, he lights a candle they got for their wedding.
And as another Mother’s Day comes and goes, Jack tells us: “I'll never ever ever forget Jade. I think about her every day of my life.”;
How to protect yourself against cervical cancer
CERVICAL cancer is most commonly diagnosed in women in their early 30s, with around 3,200 new cases and 850 deaths each year in the UK.
According to CRUK, the five-year survival rate is around 70 per cent – and the earlier it is caught, the better.
Cervical screening programmes and HPV vaccines have reduced rates and save 4,000 lives each year.
It is vital you attend your smear test and get jabbed when invited, and that you know the symptoms of cervical cancer to look out for.
These aren’t always obvious, and they may not become noticeable until the cancer has reached an advanced stage.
But you might notice:
- Unusual bleeding (often after sex, between periods, or after the menopause)
- Pain and discomfort during sex
- Vaginal discharge (often unpleasant smelling)
- Pain in your lower back, between your hip bones or in your lower tummy
Women are invited to have regular cervical screenings between the ages of 25 and 64. How often depends on your age.
The HPV vaccine, which helps protect against the virus, is recommended for children aged 12 to 13 and people at higher risk from HPV.
Source: NHS and Cancer Research UK
