Jeff Brazier has opened up about how he's dealt with Mother's Day since Jade Goody's death.
Jeff had two boys, Bobby, now 17, and Freddie, now 16, with Jade, who died in 2009 aged just 27 after a battle with cervical cancer.
And now their dad Jeff has told on his podcast Only Human that he feels a sense of responsibility for helping the two navigate their grief on a day like Mother's Day.
"Talking about the subject has made me feel emotional," he said on Sunday.
"I've got two boys that are really going to be missing their mum today. They miss her every day.
"My vulnerability in this moment right now is that I, as a parent of two kids that lost their mum, I have got the responsibility on my shoulders of guiding them through the day.
"But then I remind myself that it's not on me, it's not on anyone really, it just is what it is."
He goes on to advise listeners: "The way to make anniversaries go better is to make sure we recognise the person that we've lost as early on as we can. Like us, today we'll go and visit their mum's special place, it might be we look at some pictures."
Jeff also discussed how he approached Bobby and Freddie's first Christmas without mum Jade there - making it "as special as he could."
"The first Christmas after the boys lost their mum," he recalled, "I wanted to make the day as special as I could. I made extra effort.
"There was maybe extra presents, extra food, sweets, cakes everything was extra.
"But what I was missing was the reality that you can't make that day special… It's a reminder that someone isn't there."
Since Jade's death, Jeff has been a mental health advocate and has been vocal with his best advice for how to cope with grief.
In 2017, he published The Grief Survival Guide: How to Navigate Loss and All that Comes With It.
Jade died just a month after she wed Jack Tweed.
Jack recently told Closer that he'd reconnected with the boys - and that Jade would be over the moon with the men they've become.
"I have seen the boys and I speak to them," he said.
"On one occasion, Jeff came with them and we had a family lunch together, which was really nice.
"Bobby and Freddie have grown into such lovely and polite young men. Jade would be so proud of them, and Jeff has done such a good job bringing them up."
If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operates a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email Jo@samaritans.org if you'd prefer to write down how you feel. You are not alone.
