14 October 2023 , 17:00
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Jack Tweed was a teenager when he met Big Brother star Jade Goody in a nightclub in Essex and fell for her over the dance floor. As their relationship blossomed, he stepped into the showbiz world and went on Celebrity Big Brother, then in February 2009, the couple had a bittersweet wedding one month before Jade passed away.
It's now been 14 years since Jack tragically lost his wife to terminal cervical cancer on Mother's Day in March 2009, and despite finding love again with girlfriend Ellis Sargeant, there is one romantic commitment that he admits would be a struggle to make.
Jack has now settled down and lives with his girlfriend Ellis Sargeant (CLICK NEWS AND MEDIA)
The 38-year-old electrician runs a family business with his dad in Brentwood, Essex (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)"I'm living in Brentwood and I've been with Ellis a year and a half now, we're taking it slowly but we do live together. We never argue and she's really easy to get along with," Jack told the Mirror. The 38-year-old electrician praised Ellis, 28, for being open and supportive of his history with Jade. "She's really supportive. She doesn't want me to not talk about Jade," he explained. "Sometimes I'll remember a memory we had together and go to say it then stop, because I feel awkward bringing it up. But she'll say, 'Don't be stupid, tell me'."
As well as encouraging Jack to talk about his grief, Ellis supported her boyfriend last year when he set up a cancer rehabilitation charity in honour of Jade. In July 2022, Jack organised a charity walk and threw a fundraising ball at Down Hall - where they got married 13 years prior - and raised over £30,000, with guests including close friend TOWIE's James 'Arg' Argent and Jade's eldest son Bobby Brazier.
Jack previously struggled to find love again, and opened up on Good Morning Britain about comparing every partner to Jade. He said in 2019: "I don't feel like I could meet anyone yet, as no one really compares to Jade, so I don't want to put that person… It's not fair on a person to put them through that." But after meeting Ellis through a mutual friend and chatting on Instagram, he realised that he was ready for a serious relationship - though he would still never compare them.
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Jack said Ellis is 'very supportive' of him talking about his late wife Jade (PA Archive/PA Images)
He previously admitted that he struggled comparing other girls to Jade (Ken McKay/ITV/REX)"They are very different people. I've never met anyone the same as Jade. She was one of a kind, wasn't she? She was a million miles an hour, the loudest person I've ever met, always laughing but always shouting," Jack said. The pair of them are taking the relationship slow and steady, and just enjoying the moment instead of planning far ahead, as Jack isn't sure of the commitments he can make.
"We haven't spoken about anything in the future," he said, opening up about the 'guilt' he still feels. "It's hard for me, where I've been married before I feel a bit guilty. I'm married already and I don't know if I would get married again to be honest. It's a weird feeling." Jack put his mixed emotions down to worrying what his late wife would think if she could see them - despite Jade giving Jack her blessing to move on before she died.
"I know I'm not doing anything wrong, but I do feel a bit guilty if she's watching. It's not a nice feeling," he said. "She was literally saying about it on her deathbed. I was like, 'Be quiet, what are you talking about?' At the time, I didn't want to accept that she was going to pass away. I was still living with the hope that a miracle was going to happen. But she was still trying to say that I want you to move on."
While he's unsure about getting married again, Jack did share one thing he would like to do in the future that Jade 'would want'. He shared that he would love to take Bobby, 20, and his brother Freddie, 19, out one day. "I'd like to take Bobby and Freddie out and be normal, just like we used to be, maybe one day. Jade would one hundred million per cent want me to be in their lives," he said.
Jack said he would feel guilty getting married again and they haven't spoken about the future (Matt Sprake / SplashNews.com)Jack has grown closer with Bobby over the years, as he said they share mutual friend Arg and socialise in Essex. "I see Bobby quite a bit. He's become friends with Arg so whenever he sings at Sheesh, Bobby will come. He's come to a few parties. I've been out to lunch with him a couple of times too. Freddie I've seen a few times as well," he explained. "I saw Bobby three or four weeks ago. He's so busy and was living quite a distance away from me. We see each other through Arg or with other people, we're yet to do anything on our own."
The former CBB star is hugely proud of Bobby taking to the stage on Strictly and said he's got him back into EastEnders too. "If I had to take a bet, I would say he's going to win, and I really hope he does," Jack said, adding: "He's got me back into EastEnders, I used to watch it when I was younger. I've not watched it for years, but now I know every character. He's a really good actor and he looks like he's fitted in really well."
Watching Bobby shake his hips on the dancefloor is poignant for Jack, as it reminds him of memories with Jade over a decade ago, and when they'd spent time together at home as a family. "I remember takeaway nights with Bobby. It always sticks in my head, going to get a takeaway and he'd have the music on full blast and be dancing in the car. He'd pretend to be a barman with the takeaway," Jack chuckled. "I'm always getting reminded, and especially seeing Bobby now, it's a massive reminder."
He has rekindled a relationship with Jade's sons and socialises sometimes with Bobby (Instagram)
Jack has fond memories of Saturday takeaway nights at home with Bobby and Freddie (WireImage)Jack said he remembers Jade 'every single day'. "I still live quite close to where we lived together, so I see things we used to do. I have so many memories of Jade," he explained. "When I remember Jade now, it makes me feel mixed emotions. I very rarely cry but every now and again it does get the better of me, thinking about it on my own and I shed a little tear. My last memories with her aren't very nice." He admitted there are some 'really dark memories' from their final weeks together, but he just tries to remember the good times.
"Sometimes it's happy thoughts and I laugh about times we had, it's not all negative," he said. "She was still funny even when she was in the hospital bed. I remember I would sit with her all day and all night, and where she was on so many [prescribed] drugs, one time we had a three-hour conversation about how she could make money off growing bananas. She was mad until the end."
Reflecting back on their love story and how they first met, Jack said it was a 'whirlwind' and they were both young, but he has no doubts about their deep feelings for each other. "It was a bit of a mad one at the start," he chuckled. "It was a whirlwind when I was young and we jumped straight into it," he continued, adding: "I think we both really, really loved each other and we definitely would've spent the rest of our lives together."
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