Jeff Brazier "doubled down" on his parental responsibilities after Jade Goody passed away.
Jeff Brazier has admitted to being too serious
The reality TV star died from cervical cancer in March 2009, aged 27, and Jeff - who had Bobby, 21, and Freddie, 19, with Jade - subsequently put even more focus on his parenting.
Jeff, 45, said on the latest episode of 'Celebrity Race Across The World': "I think when the boys lost their mum I really doubled down on putting all of my time, effort, attention, focus on my children.
"I needed to be there, helping them to navigate whatever the future was going to look like for them given their loss. And I'm still playing that role.
"But yeah the more Fred does for himself, I know that he can start to push on in life."
Jeff admitted that he's often been "too serious" with his children.
However, he hopes that will change in the coming months and years.
The TV star - who was in a relationship with Jade between 2002 and 2004 - shared: "It's hard to switch off and sometimes I think I'm being too serious.
"Just everything is my responsibility, and it has been for such a long time, because I think as a man you probably don't rate your chances of coping, so you do what comes naturally to you which is to take all the responsibility and just focus on the situation.
"I have absolutely 100 percent lost the ability to play, but I think that it's something that I need to regain. I think I need Freddie to show me really, and I need to get back to ... I need to get back to what I used to be. I'm sure that's possible."
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