TV presenter Jeff Brazier and former model Nicola T have given their first interview as a couple to HELLO! magazine. While the couple are "head over heels" in love, Jeff confessed that he was "nervous" about how his sons would react to meeting Nicola and her three-year-old daughter Poppy. Jeff has raised sons Bobby, nine, and Freddy, seven, alone since the boys' mother Jade Goody died of cancer in 2009.
"After losing their mum, they don't want another mum; but I know they benefit from having a female around," he told HELLO!."I couldn't have asked for a better role model for my children. Nicola is an amazing mum." While the boys have grown extremely fond of Nicola, who they nickname 'Tap Tap', the transition has not been without its hurdles. "Freddy was going through a bit of a spell... he would feel very upset about his mummy, and basically accuse Nicola of trying to replace his mummy – not in his words, but in his actions," said Jeff. Added Nicola: "Freddy is on a little rollercoaster. He can show me love far more easily than Bobby – but equally, when he's not sure what's going on, he can show it in a little bit of an angry way." Jeff sat down with his youngest son. "I reminded him that Nicola isn't trying to be his mummy, that no one could replace her, and that’s what he needed to hear. He understood that." Jeff and Nicola started dating last December and their relationship quickly became serious. "We've talked about marriage because we feel so strongly about each other," said Jeff. "I'm in this for the long haul."
They both agree that their children will remain a priority. Said Jeff: "Nothing really matters to me more than my children maing it through their childhood, overcoming their grief and having a fantastic future." He also hopes his sons will go to university. "I feel very passionate about the fact that their mum worked very hard in her lats six months to make sure the money was there for their private education," he said. "That has to count for something." See the full exclusive interview in HELLO! Magazine, out now.
