TV personality Freddy Brazier has said he used BBC budget money while he was on Celebrity Race Across the World to buy weed.
The 22-year-old is the son of the late Big Brother star Jane Goody and TV presenter Jeff Brazier and came third place alongside his father in the 2024 series of the show. Goody died aged 27 on Mother’s Day in 2009 from cervical cancer.
Brazier, who has spoken openly about his struggles with his mental health and drug abuse, said he was not in a good space mentally while they were filming and that he had been “selfish” for smoking cannabis while on the show.
Jeff and Freddie Brazier (Alamy/PA)
Speaking on the Terry Stone Connection podcast, he said: “I almost forced myself to do it. I weren’t in the place mentally and when I knew that we were going to be filming over Mother’s Day as well, I was like, “Oh f***, shit, I’m going to have cameras in my face on f****** Mother’s Day.
“I want to be alone.”
While on the show, contestants have a strict budget of £1,100 per person for the 7,800-mile race from Belem in Brazil to Frutillar, Chile.
He said that, on the day, he and his father had gone swimming and watched the sunset to mark the day, but later that evening he left the hotel to buy some weed.
He said: “I went and bought myself a three five (3.5g of weed) in Brazil on Mother’s Day and smoked it with these two bracelet makers on the beach while looking at the stars.
“It was beautiful, but it was so wrong.”
Looking back, Brazier said it was a very “selfish” thing to do as it could have “costed us the show”.
Jade Goody with her sons Freddy, right, and Bobby Brazier at the premiere of Garfield 2 in Leicester Square in 2006 (Yui Mok/PA)
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He added: “I feel like I needed that joint. Honest to God, I feel like I needed that joint otherwise I was getting kicked off the show anyways because I weren’t in the greatest headspace and I didn’t want to be filmed on Mother’s Day.”
Brazier reportedly began smoking from the age of 12 and has struggled with his mental health over the years including going to rehab and experiencing manic episodes.
The BBC has been contacted for comment.