Freddie and Bobby Brazier's granddad died in huge disaster – 'We struggle' says dad Jeff

TV presenter Jeff Brazier's father, Stephen Faldo, died in the infamous Marchioness disaster in 1989 - with Jeff opening up on how he's learned to cope with his emotions

Reality TV star Jeff Brazier has courageously opened up about the tragic loss of his father, Stephen Faldo, who perished in a notorious boat disaster. At 45, Jeff, who is a devoted dad himself, admitted it was only a few years back that he felt ready to confront the details of the harrowing event in 1989 when two vessels collided on London's River Thames. In an emotional Instagram post featuring an old picture of his dad, Jeff wrote four years ago: "Meet Stephen Faldo, my biological father that fate was cruel enough to ensure I would never get to meet."

Jeff shared his feelings: "Due to all of the self development I've done I seem to 'feel' more than I suppress these days so I've spent most of today feeling an absence of something I wished I'd experienced, something I would have had from 13 onwards but was simply denied by some rather s**t luck," reports OK!

The tragedy unfolded in the early hours of 20 August 1989, when the pleasure boat Marchioness was struck twice by the dredger Bowbelle and sank rapidly. The Marchioness was being used for a birthday celebration with around 130 guests aboard and it took a mere 30 seconds to go under, resulting in the loss of 51 lives.

Stephen, Jeff's father, was at the helm of the Marchioness. He had been working on the Thames since the age of 17 and was just 29 when he lost his life that night. Jeff spoke candidly about his emotional journey, sharing: "These feelings today led me not for the first time to reading a few things about the events leading to his death, I usually stop myself after a while though because the whole misinformed affair was as honest and transparent as much of which we struggle with today."

Wrapping up his heartfelt message, he expressed solidarity: "I hope others who have lived lives equally as complicated as my own will feel even just a slight sense of satisfaction knowing you're not on your own, your feelings are valid, and being honest, even if slightly vague feels great and is to be encouraged."

Concluding, Jeff offered some advice: "Own your story, recognise the strengths you've acquired and show your vulnerabilities because we all need to be a little more human and recovery works (much) better when we aren't bottling things up. Yes I'm encouraging you to talk, get used to it."

Since the devastating loss of their mother Jade Goody to cervical cancer in 2009, Jeff has been a single father to his sons Bobby and Freddie, however, he has since found happiness again marrying Kate Dwyer.

Bobby, now 21, has made a name for himself as an actor on EastEnders and a past contestant on Strictly Come Dancing, and younger brother Freddie, 19, diagnosed with ADHD, recently took part in Channel 4s Race Across The World with dad Jeff.