Freddy Brazier: A Perfect Night at his Nan’s in Bermondsey
Fresh from filming in Malta with his old man for Good Morning TV, Race Across the World breakout Freddy Brazier isn’t your typical reality face. He’ll banter with his dad on set, drop hard truths about grief and mental health, feed a homeless bloke’s dog outside a Nisa, and still spend twenty minutes hogging the shower…
Freddy, you’ve just come back from filming in Malta with your dad on Good Morning TV – how was it working with the old man in the sun, and who’s the bigger diva on set?
I'm gonna go in. I love seeing my dad in action, doing his job, which is very good at. And onset, we both had our moments. The banter was decent, and the team were the dogs bollocks.
You made a big impact on Race Around the World – what did being dropped into the unknown teach you about yourself, and did it change the way you look at life back home?
I knew this would be hard for me to do, just sitting with my own head with no distractions, like my phone or anything, just sitting with my thoughts that were popping up constantly when on long bus journeys. That's what I found real hard, but if I got anything from that, it was probably to actually just accept how I feel, take it on board and not push it to the side. And really, actually, I guess what I could say is.. I learned that I always have time to think about how I feel.
Mental health is something people still shy away from. You’ve spoken about your mum, Jade, and growing up without her. How do you process that kind of loss, especially in the public eye?
I'm still processing it now, to be honest. I only really started processing it, like,in my late teens, because when she passed I was obviously too young and then I feel that as much as she was spoken about in every household I was in, I never used to think about it. I'd always just shut down if someone was like, "Oh, your mum was lovely”, or “I watched your mum”, or whatever, I'd just be like, “oh yeah, nice, all right”. And then I'd just walk off, be like, “oh, yeah, fuck off”. I feel like I've only just started to really deal with it. More so recently after race, actually, where I learned to give my feelings and thoughts their own time.
You’ve been spotted stopping to chat with homeless people, even buying food for their dogs. What draws you to people society often overlooks – and what do you learn in those moments?
Well, I don't put myself on a pedestal, or think I'm any better than anyone else because of the cloth I'm cut from, or the family I come from, D'you know what I mean? Like, I live with my Nan in Bermondsey, Southeast London, and I choose to live there, I choose to be in that area and I choose to have friends in that area. These people, my local friends, I see as my brothers, we’re on the same level, we're all the same out here. Homeless people have a story too. Just because they live on the street and are often seen as scum and dirt and trash, they're people and they’ve got feelings. So, let’s just stop treating them like trash! Give them a smile. It takes two minutes to just stop and have a little cheeky conversation, buy their dogs some treats from the shop.
Your brother Bobby’s smashing it on EastEnders. Do you feel pressure to follow in his footsteps, or are you carving your own path through this crazy industry?
To be honest, I wouldn’t say I'm really in the industry. I went on Race Across the World, that's about it. Yeah, it's a big programme. It's watched by multiple people, but like all these people that go on shows, like, whether it's Love Island or Married at First Sight and anything like that. You’ve forgotten about real soon after. Yeah, people might see you in the street. "Oh, you all right, Loved your race. It’s' cause they've seen your face, not 'cause you're still relevant, that So... I just... I'd love to just work a normal job, a trade, or something like that. And if it ain't a trade, I ain't working in hospitality and shit, I'm not being told, wash up the dishes, I don't like being told what to do! He laughs out loud! So I'd much rather work doing my own thing whether that was with a friend doing music management or owning a clothing line or streaming on kick and just seeing what we can do with the platforms we have. Because.. our age our generation, we've got all these different platforms that if you actually spend enough time on, or doing research about, you can master it!. You can master it, whether that's kick, TikTok lives, anything like that. And so I don't feel like I have to follow in my mum's footsteps, my dad's footsteps, my brother's footsteps. I don't feel like I have to be just another Brazier. I can do something different! D'you know what I mean?
What’s the one thing people always get wrong about you – and what’s the truth?
What do people get wrong about me? (Asks mate Michael)… “Michael, what do you think people would get wrong about me”? “They’d think you’re stuck up! But you’re not! You’re down to earth”.
Yeah, that’s bang on, but I'd give my last ten sheet to a homeless person or to someone that needs it more than me. Money comes and goes, but I feel like some people might look at me and think, “he's probably so far up his own arse”. But I think I’m very down to earth, I'm very real, and I feel like I'm very relatable. I don't judge people and that's why I can sit with homeless people and have chats with them.
TV offers are flying in – are you more drawn to reality, drama, or something totally different? And how do you keep your feet on the ground when the spotlight heats up?
To be honest,I don't need to be on TV. I don't want to just be seen to be on TV. I'd love to do another travel programme, I'd love to make my own series or short film, but not fake reality TV.
There’s a real warmth to you, Fred – but have there been times when people have tried to take advantage of that kindness?
All the time! See when you're a kind person, you will get looked down upon, and you will get taken advantage of. And if you don't see it, you're a mug! Because you're just gonna be getting taken advantage of. I have only just started seeing it recently, whether that's with my nan or my friends or anyone! But I always give back to people that give to me! Like with my friends, if I'm I'm literally brassic and I still want to go out with them, like they'll spot me. The other day, we went for a roast and I had a tenner. My bill came to 30 quid. Because I eat a lot And my friend had sponsored me.
Do you ever feel like the public memory of Jade Goody still shapes how people see you today? And how do you hold space for her legacy in your own life?
Definitely, like, especially in Southeast London, if it's not “Freddie from Race Across the World” it's, oh, “that's Jade's boy”! And I like that, I love that I'm seen as Jade's Boy. The other thing that happens a lot as well is, “Oh your Bobby's brother”! Now I don't like that! Bobby's his own person. I love him. And yeah, I am his brother but he’s his own person and so am I. Don't even come up to me and try to chat to me if you just go, are you Bobby's brother?"
How do you hold space for Jade's legacy in your own life?
I don't really know, like, in the past, we've let balloons go off, we've done things in memory of her. I don't do much and she's got two special places, of memory, like two places we can go to remember her, One in Bermondsey and one in Essex.. which I like to go to but I don't enough actually!
If we spent a full day getting to know Freddy, what would we see? Where would you take us, and what moment would really show us who you are underneath it all?
Well, if you want to know who I am underneath it all, come spend the night at my nan's with me. Fuck! Oh, mate, till you've spent a night at my nan's with me, you seriously don't know who I am.
I like random plans. I'm very last minute. I'm very like, oh, “let's go and look down that road, that place looks pretty”! Or, “right boys , come, we're going over there”! Where would I take you, though? We'd probably jump out of London because as much as I'd love London, it's very overstimulating. So maybe to the countryside, go to a nice little river, find a nice spot, and just walk about and chat, bring a little bluetooth speaker. Or we'll go to the Thames river. You can get the cable cars over to Victoria Docks, lovely place!
Be honest – who takes longer getting ready for the camera, you or Bobby? And who’s got the better hair routine?
Well, my hair's very short. I do nothing. Roll out of bed, jump in the shower, stick clothes on, and I'm out! So Dad and Bob are definitely the longest. Out of Dad and Bob, I don't know because I don't watch them get ready. Bob ain't 'cause Bob has to go work very quickly, like where he's on and off set, he's probably quite used to just bang, bang, bang ready! Dad! He does the whole blow dry his hair thing, the whole wax, the whole the whole shebang. But I will give it to Dad if we're adding the shower in, I'll take the longest! Not with no weird shit or nothing. I am in the shower for a good 20 minutes. Water bills peak! At least I don't have to pay!
You’re stuck on a desert island with a six-pack, a speaker, and one celeb mate – who are you bringing and what’s on the playlist?
Forget the celebrity mate. If I'm on an island, I want to escape from the whole Instagram and media talk. Could take a celebrity girl mind you. Who’s the fittest Kardashian? There's Chloe maybe? I don't know.
What's on your island playlist?
I like all kinds of music. We'd have a bit of Andrea Bocelli in there for like the sleep time. For like, yeah, we're up and we're about to have it off on the beach with our little coconut cocktail that probably has nothing but seawater in because we're on a desert island. We will be listening to some house tunes, bit of Drake, a bit of everything. I'm not gonna bait out my playlist too, too much, but if you want my Spotify, shout me!
When it comes to dating – do girls get nervous around you because of the famous surname, or do you play it cool and let them figure it out?
I'm actually quite nervous, like, chatting to girls on the street or in public. If I'm going to do it, I'll arrange something through Instagram or TikTok. If a girl gives me a compliment, I do get a bit shy and I do get a bit red.
Every lad needs a proper takeaway go-to. What’s yours – and do you share or guard it like a dragon with a Nando’s bag?
I like a Chinese. Egg fried rice, no peas, beef in black bean sauce, no chilli. That is my order. Give me the a fortune cookie as well and I'm happy as Larry.
Boxers, briefs or going full method like a Love Island audition? We’re Loaded – we have to ask.
Erm, I wear boxers or I go commando!
Photography: @gwynpix
