Late star 's left a moving final wish for her sons Bobby and Freddy. The TV personality, who rose to fame on the reality show in 2002, tragically died aged just 27 after being diagnosed with cervical cancer. At the time of her passing, her sons, whom she shared with ex-partner , were five and four years old.

Following her death, actor Bobby and model Freddy lived with their dad. In 2024, Freddy, 20, opened up on his upbringing while on Celebrity Race Across The World in which . "When me and Bobby lost our mum, he had a big responsibility to very young boys who were grieving and that's not very fun," he told the camera.

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Before her death, the pair's doting mum Jade ensured that her sons would have a good start in life. When Jade died on Mother's Day in 2009, her final wish was that Bobby and Freddy would be looked after, and she left a to provide them with opportunities she didn't have. "One of her biggest wishes was for her kids to be healthy and happy," Jeff previously told The . "So the fact that 15 years on, they're all in one piece, I think I've fulfilled her wish."

Jeff also made sure to protect Bobby and Freddy from the media frenzy during their early years of grief, and said it was the "most natural decision" he could have made to keep them out of the public eye. Bobby has naturally found his way back into the spotlight and has appeared on shows such as EastEnders.

He also appeared on in 2023 and made it to the final of the competition with his professional dance partner Dianne Buswell, alongside and , and and Vito Coppola. During his time on the show, Jeff shared how 'amazing' it was that Bobby was such a 'shining light' after everything he's endured.

Speaking to at the time, dad-of-two Jeff shared his pride in his eldest son's achievements and what Jade would be feeling if she were around to watch Bobby on the dancefloor. "It all came together [for Bobby] reasonably early in his young adult life and as a result, he's gone on to do things that make us all proud," he said. "We know what he's faced and endured, and the fact that he is still such a shining light is amazing. He's making everybody proud and obviously, the most proud person in the would've been his mum."

Earlier in the competition, Bobby and Dianne for Couple's Choice week. It was a decision that Jeff had no involvement in and praises Bobby for having the courage to do so. "Grief is a very personal experience and I've always made sure they [Bobby and brother Freddie] grieve in a way that's natural. I don't push things onto them or set any expectations. The routine came about because it was what Bobby wanted to do. He felt ready to do it," Jeff explained.

Praising the Strictly team behind the cameras, he added: "I think that's a credit to production for being so wonderful. It's like one big family and I know they've made him feel really comfortable, so I think that's why it happened. Otherwise, he might not have done it because he doesn't like to speak publicly about particularly personal things."

Elsewhere, Jeff and his youngest son Freddy raced 12,500km from Brazil to Chile without using their phones or taking any flights on Celebrity Race Across The World last year, with the father-son duo coming in third place. Speaking of their bond, Jeff told : "I've got a real confidence in my relationship with Fred, and I knew it would take something absolutely huge to make us fall out. Then you're introduced to the limitation of the language barrier and the problems begin!"

It comes as Jeff has launched a shock legal bid to stop his youngest son from seeing his maternal grandmother, Jade's mum Jackiey Budden. He is attempting to shield Freddy from what he alleges is "a relationship that has been incredibly detrimental to his wellbeing".

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