Jade Goody’s widow Jack Tweed has urged her two sons not to appear on Celebrity Big Brother after revealing how their lives fell apart following their own appearance in 2007.
Jack has advised Eastenders and Strictly star Bobby Brazier, 20, and brother Freddie, 19, to avoid the new ITV series.
Millions of people are expected to tune in to the revamped show and ITV producers hope to capitalize on the success of last year’s series by reviving the famous spin-off – six years after it aired on Channel 5 .
Jack, 36, appeared alongside Jade in 2007 but the show ended in disaster when she became embroiled in a major race scandal.
With her boys both carving out successful careers in the entertainment sector, Jack – who now lives with his new partner in Brentwood, Essex – has warned against them continuing.
Jade Goody’s widow Jack Tweed has urged her two sons not to take part in Celebrity Big Brother this year. Pictured: Bobby Brazier photographed the TV Choice Awards earlier this week
Pictured: Jade Goody and Jack Tweed entering the Celebrity Big Brother house in January 2007
Shocking: In 2007, Jade returned to the Big Brother house for his celebrity series, sparking thousands of Ofcom complaints after she was accused of racist behavior towards Shilpa Shetty
He said: ‘My advice would be to stay clear. It is not worth it. Me and Jade didn’t have a great experience. It ended in disaster.
“I didn’t feel comfortable with that experience at all. You feel very exposed. It’s constant. It feels enclosed. We met some nice people, but I wouldn’t recommend it.
‘It caused a lot of problems. If they asked me what I think I did with it myself, I would say avoid it.
‘It was constant boredom. I woke up and took a shower and then wondered what to do next. It was soul destroying at times. It was heavy.’
Jack said both of Jade’s sons are ‘flying’ and appearing on the show wouldn’t be worth the ‘risk’.
He added: “Jade would be so proud of them both. I know I am. That show caused big problems. It was a total nightmare.
“They’re both doing great, but it wouldn’t be worth the risk.” I’m sure this is also the official advice they will receive.
“These reality shows sound great for young and upcoming people, but they also have negative sides. It’s not all they’re cracked up to be.”
It’s not the first time the father has warned Jade’s sons about staying out of the public spotlight, drawing on his own experiences and those of his late wife Jade.
Jack and Jade return to a hotel together in 2006 after a night out in London
Jade Goody and Jack Tweeds outside her Waltham Abbey home in February 2009
Jade Goody and ex-husband Jack Tweed (pictured, in 2008) were married until her death from cancer at the age of 27 in 2009
Jack with his new girlfriend Ellie Sargeant, 28, who live together in Brentwood, Essex
Bobby and his dancing partner Dianne Buswell came second on Strictly Come Dancing this year
He previously described show business as a “rough game” and added: “I would tell Bobby to be careful, especially as he becomes more successful.
“I know he has good people around him, a good head on his shoulders and his father Jeff takes care of him.
‘It’s very difficult to trust people in that industry. I noticed that people were constantly trying to get you for their own benefit.
‘It’s the nature of the beast. Many people went behind Jade’s back to make money from her.
‘It’s about greed. That world is full of snakes. Bobby, I’m sure I’ll be careful with that. It’s a rough game and I told him that.
‘Jade had a lot of fake people around her. They tried to be her friends, but didn’t have her best interests at heart at all.
‘Bobby has to be careful with that. But he has good people around him and that’s what’s important. He has the world at his feet.’
Jack previously spoke out, calling on TV shows and companies to do more to protect the mental health of contestants in light of a series of suicides on reality TV.
He said: ‘There needs to be a greater duty of care around issues like this. The mental health consequences can be enormous.”
Jack – who has previously spoken about smoking cannabis, says he is now drug free and only drinks socially occasionally.
He lives with his girlfriend Ellie Sargeant, 28, but said he would always love Jade.
Jade took part in the third series of Big Brother in 2002 and applied for a place on the show by submitting a video of herself putting her entire body through an elastic band.
During her time in the house, Jade left viewers in hysterics with a slew of noises, including her questioning whether ‘East Angular’ was in Britain or abroad.
She also wondered if croissants were English because she “got them with a full English breakfast,” whether Jerusalem was a real place or “just in the Bible,” and “Do they speak Portuguese in Portugal?” I thought Portugal was in Spain.’
In a tearful exchange, Jade also delivered the iconic quote: ‘Am I mining?’
However, she still made it to the final, finishing in fourth place, and received a hugely warm reception from the crowd as she left the house.
She re-entered the house with then-boyfriend Jack in January 2007 for Celebrity Big Brother.
During Jade’s time in the house, she clashed with her housemate, Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty, calling the actress ‘Shilpa Poppadom’ and mocking her for bleaching her facial hair.
Strictly and EastEnders stars Bobby Brazier with dad Jeff at the NTA ceremony
Jeff Brazier carries his sons Bobby and Freddie after Jade’s baptism in March 2009
Celebrity Big Brother will repeatedly see a huge change to the show before the ITV reboot kicks off next month (presenters AJ Odudu and Will Best pictured)
In an attempt to revive elements of the original show, the opening episode will be filmed live after the opening of last year’s civilian series was pre-recorded, leaving viewers fuming.
One particular moment that caused the most outrage was a huge argument between Jade and Shilpa over an Oxo Cube.
Jade told Shilpa she was ‘not a bloody princess here’ and replied that she needed ‘etiquette lessons’, while housemates Danielle Lloyd and Jo O’Meara laughed throughout.
In 2007, Ofcom received more than 44,500 complaints from the public (a record at the time), and bosses opted not to have a live audience when Jade was evicted.
The scandal was so big at the time that, although Shilpa did not make an official complaint of racist behavior to Big Brother, her allegations forced police to launch an investigation into the possible classification of her treatment as ‘racial hatred’.
While Jade gave interviews in the following days apologizing for her behavior, the setback brought her career to an abrupt halt and she checked herself into The Priory before stepping out of the spotlight in 2007.
The show will be rebooted next month and in an effort to revive elements of the original show, the opening episode will be filmed live, unlike the opening of last year’s civilian series, which was pre-recorded.
According to the Sun, the producers wanted to be able to keep any surprises from viewers with a live show, despite the extra pressure this put on the production crew.
A source told the publication: ‘Producers wanted to bring the feeling that anything could happen back to the Celebrity Big Brother kick-off, even though it will be a little more nerve-wracking experience for them.
‘It will also ensure that bosses can save a few more surprises in terms of which celebrity housemates they plan to unveil that night.’
The original run of the reality show always featured a live opening as the contestants entered the famous house, but ITV opted to film their first episode 24 hours earlier last year.