Jack Tweed says he feels closer to his beloved late wife Jade Goody after finally reconnecting with her sons.
The 34-year-old, who married the Big Brother star just one month before she tragically died from cervical cancer in 2009, had grown close to Bobby and Freddy, who Jade shared with her ex Jeff Brazier.
They were just four and five when their mum died, and went to live with their dad.
And last year, Jack had told of how he "desperately missed" the boys, who are now 18 and 17.
He's since reconnected with his former step-sons after bumping into Bobby at the home of mutual friend James 'Arg' Argent.
After marking the 13th anniversary of Jade's death, Jack told The Sun : "I speak to the boys much more now than I did and that really helps. They message me and I love being in their lives again.
"I’ve never tried to replace their dad, I know that I’m not their father, but they know that if they ever need anything, they can speak to me.
"It makes me feel a lot closer to Jade when I talk to them, and I know she would he so happy that we are close again."
Jack said he had reached out to Freddy and Bobby on Jade's anniversary to tell them how proud she would be of them and how they are like her in a lot of ways.
That day, he also paid his own tribute to his late wife.
Sharing a picture from their wedding day on his Instagram story, Jack penned: "13 years since I last got to see this angel. Miss you everyday".
He also referenced the legacy she'd left behind by adding the hashtags "raise awareness" and "smear test".
It's believed Jade helped save countless lives after her death sparked a huge surge in the number of women being checked for cervical cancer.
Demand for smear tests was so high that politicians ended up bowing to pressure to review the age that women became eligible to have them.
