From a BBC set to another, Bobby Brazier is no stranger to the small screen. THE EastEnders The star is one of 15 celebrities taking part in the series Strictly Come Dancewhere he will compete against Paralympic athletes, TV presenters and other actors.

EastEnders fans will know Bobby, 20, as Freddie Slater, a role he took on in September last year. Brazier had no acting experience when he auditioned for the role, but he clearly convinced the producers.

Outside of television, Bobby worked as a model for Dolce & Gabbana (he was spotted on his way to school, aged 16), making his catwalk debut in Milan. He was spotted sitting front row at London Fashion Week, next to Formula 1 star Lewis Hamilton.

Many will remember Bobby’s late mother, Jade Goodiewho rose to fame by participating in the third season of the reality TV show Big brother in 2002. Goody died at the age of 27 in 2009 from cervical cancer. While her time on the show was riddled with controversy, leading to her being called “the most hated woman in Britain”, Goody’s public image softened following the announcement of her diagnosis in 2008.

Her cancer diagnosis was widely credited with sparking a surge in requests for cervical screening among young women, reversing a decline over the previous decade. She had two sons during her relationship with television presenter Jeff Brazier: Bobby, born in 2003, and Freddy, born the following year. Jeff Brazier, who became famous on the reality TV show Shipwrecked, raised Bobby and Freddy after Goody’s death, keeping them out of the public eye while they were still children.

Before that, Bobby and his younger brother had made appearances on Goody’s spinoff reality shows following his stint on Big brother. These included the 2005 series Jade’s living room, Just Jade (2006), and Jade’s wedding (2009). Bobby was also featured in the 2010 documentary released by Living after his death, titled Jade: a year without her.

In an interview with The temperature Earlier this year, Bobby described his EastEnders his castmates as friends and said he “always knew” that when an opportunity like the soap opera presented itself, he would take it. He won the Rising Star award at this year’s National Television Awards.

“Not much,” Bobby replied when asked how much he remembered about his mother. “Maybe memories of memories.” People always talk to me about her and what she meant to people. I guess I know my mother through other people’s memories of my mother.

Bobby describes himself as a spiritual person, who embarked on a journey of self-discovery after leaving school at the age of 16. [Covid-19] I got away with it without doing anything,” he said. The temperature.

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“I did an apprenticeship [in social media], I left that, I played football, but I had a lot of time to sit with myself. That’s when I started meditating, looking at myself and thinking, “Well, that’s not who you are. » It has gradually been a process of letting go and going deeper into my heart space. It’s been a real journey and it will continue to be.

Bobby added that he believed there was a difference between therapy and spirituality, saying, “For me, spirituality is therapy above therapy. People probably won’t understand what I’m saying, but it makes sense to me. I think I’m a healer. I’m more of a healer than an actor or model. I feel like people go through certain things and experience certain traumas because they’re ready for it, and they can heal from it and then heal other people. This is where I get all my fulfillment from.

Speaking about his involvement in Strictly, he said: “I’m so excited to be part of the Strictly lineup, I can’t wait to start training like a professional dancer and add some moves to my locker.

“I can’t wait to perform in front of everyone, it’s going to be so much fun!”

Discover the full range of Strictly Come Dance 2023 candidates here.

Strictly Come Dance returns on Saturday September 16 at 6:35 p.m. on BBC One.