Jeff Brazier is a proud father to his two sons, Bobby, 18, Freddy, 16, who he shared with his late partner Jade Goody.
Like many of us, Jeff and his sons, along with his wife Kate grew closer together as a family over the past year during the several lockdowns.
It's also been an exciting time for Bobby and Freddy, who are embarking on careers of their own – more on that below!
HELLO! caught up with Jeff to chat all things family, as he joined forces with activity holiday provider PGL who have now launched family holidays at their UK centres. Read our exclusive interview…
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WATCH: A look inside Jeff Brazier's home
Hi Jeff! You're dad to boys Bobby and Freddy – tell us about the time you spent together during lockdown...
"I put a lot of time into finding common ground so that we can do things together. Bobby loves driving and training, while Fred loves golf and going to the driving range. We came to the realisation that simply being under one roof doesn’t equate to quality time together.
"There was also the feeling that I needed to compensate for the social time they’re lacking, by stepping in to help Freddy through his exams.
"We got closer because I wanted to know they were ok so made sure there were opportunities within each day for me to 'check in' with them."
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Your son Bobby is a model – how is he getting on in the industry?
"Bobby’s modelling was put on hold over the last 18 months like many peoples work but it’s reassuring that it’s been coming back recently.
"His last campaign was for Richard Quinn A/W21 and he absolutely loves going to shoots and meeting new people."
And Freddy, what are his interests career-wise? Will either of them follow you into TV?
"Fred has just had his first editorial come out for HERO magazine so he’s making his own way too, alongside starting an apprenticeship in barbering in September."
How do you spend time together as a family?
"We spend more time doing the above activities and Bobby and I are training for the LLHM (London Landmarks Half Marathon) that we’ll run together.
"I’m trying to position exercise and good health as things we have in common and Fred likes a game of paddle tennis too."
How do you stay fit and healthy?
"My attitude to my health is that I owe it to the boys to stay as healthy as I can, especially with everything that’s happened lately, it’s made me even more determined to look after myself to the best of my ability.
"The NHS are busy enough as it is so I see it as our individual responsibility to look after our health in terms of what we control, then obviously they’re there for everything we can’t.
"The exercise routine has hit its stride lately. Bobby and I are training for the LLHM so there’s a bit of running. I love cycling so I’ll get out when I can and we all go to the David Lloyd together as a family.
Jeff with his sons Bobby and Freddy
"I’ve got a spinning bike at home though so if I didn’t manage to train, I’ll cycle for an hour in the evening while the football's on or do an at-home class just to make sure I get close to my 1000 calorie a day target. I also have a Beaverfit CrossFit rig in the garden so there’s no excuses not to get physical!
"We eat really well too. I’ve got a mini allotment in the garden and we’ve just started eating the salad leaves which is the first thing to come through. It’s incredibly satisfying!"
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Do you have any holiday plans this year?
"The boys and I love camping holidays! We’ve done a few over the past year and they’ve been such good opportunities to spend quality time together and appreciate the beautiful nature we have in this country.
"We actually have a PGL holiday coming up too – ever since I told them I was working with PGL, they’ve been badgering me to make sure I take them soon!
"Like many of us, I am also definitely looking forward to getting somewhere hot and sunny in the not too distant future, so that will be on the cards soon. It’s nice to get a good mix of relaxing holidays as well as action-packed, adventurous ones."
Tell us about PGL's family holidays…
"PGL is a real British institution and kids have been going on their adventure holidays and trips for over 60 years now. But they’ve seen a growing demand for family holidays as more and more parents want to experience their kid’s adventures with them – and that is me to a tee!
"I was actually at one of their centres earlier this week trying out some of the activities to ensure they are just as much fun for parents as they are kids. Spoiler alert – they are! I actually screamed like a kid when I went on the giant rope swing. Abseiling and the zip wire were also massive fun."
Jeff at the PGL activity holiday
Can you explain the term 'Peter Pan parents' to us?
"A lot of parents will be familiar with the idea of parenting 'typologies' – essentially a definition of the sort of parent we are. For example helicopter parents, attachment parents, or pushy parents.
"Some of these can be seen as a bit negative, but there are also really positive ones, like elephant parents, who tend to be more relaxed about academic success and put more of a focus on emotional wellbeing.
"Peter Pan parents are a newer typology – parents that get involved in their children’s activities, want to experience as much as they can alongside them and somewhat relive their childhood by doing so. That is very much the category that I fall into."
If you're still looking to book a family holiday this Summer, you can book yourself onto an adventure break with PGL that's fun for all the family. Whether you want to book your kids in for an action-packed activity day, you want to go away for a long weekend, or even a full week, there are a number of options for you to choose from at one of 10 PGL activity centres. Visit pgl.co.uk
