Loose Women's Brenda Edwards says son Jamal watches over her from beyond grave as a fox

Loose Women star Brenda Edwards says her late son Jamal is watching over her from beyond the grave – as a fox.

Music entrepreneur Jamal, who helped launch the careers of artists including Ed Sheeran, Rita Ora and Stormzy, died last February aged 31 following a cardiac arrhythmia.

And Brenda says: “He’s around me all the time – I feel it. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t remember my son.

READ MORE: Loose Women’s Linda Robson recalls ‘mooning out of car window’ in racy confession

“I feel the presence of Jamal and also my late mum and dad regularly around me. I have foxes coming up to me and sitting like a dog and waiting for me to stroke them.

“The first thing Jamal did when I bought him a camera when he was 15 was film foxes in the back garden.

“I don’t see foxes anywhere, then when I finished my panto and went back to my apartment, there was a fox sitting outside patiently waiting for me.”

Brenda holds on to her Christian faith that she will be reunited with Jamal and her parents after death.

She says: “My parents died when I was four so my grandmother raised me and she was the mother of a Pentecostal church.

“It keeps me going and helps me face the day. I’m here to spread joy, love and laughter.”

Since rising to stardom on The X Factor in 2005, Brenda has performed in London’s West End, released an album, hosted Songs of Praise and become a firm favourite on Loose Women thanks to her bubbly personality.

Now she is focused on the Jamal Edwards Self Belief Trust she has set up in memory of her son, who founded R&B/hip-hop platform SB.TV and was a Prince Trust’s ambassador.

She says: “Everybody deals with grief in their own way. The main thing is to get people talking to each other.

“If you’re feeling down you have to open up to accept help.”

When Jamal died, the cream of the music industry rushed to send their condolences to Brenda and her daughter Tanisha, with Ed Sheeran moving into their home for a week.

She says: “Myself and Tanisha are very grateful to Ed and so many people from the industry who have given so much support, love and guidance – it means so much to the family.

“Jamal would introduce me to so many people I couldn’t keep up.

“He always remembered a person’s name and where he saw them.”

In remembrance of Jamal, Ed recorded a heartfelt video for SB.TV’s F64 freestyle rap series on Friday (20th) in which he declared: “We should have known that we’d be lost without you.”

Brenda says: “Ed and I have been speaking about what we can do to raise awareness for the charity, mental health and young people.

“I am all about championing young people because they are the voice of tomorrow.

“We are launching the Jamal Edwards Self Belief Trust with [homeless charity] Centrepoint to give apprenticeships and internships in the entertainment and media industry, plus helping homeless young people find somewhere to stay for at least 18 months.”

The 53-year-old, whose brother survived a cardiac arrest, has also teamed up with Virgin Media O2 who have partnered with the British Heart Foundation to roll out defibrillators in O2 stores across the UK.

Brenda says: “In 2021 they also installed 500 defibrillators into Virgin Media vans.

“This is a life-saving initiative considering there are 30,000 out of hospital cardiac arrests every year in the UK – the equivalent of 80 per day.

“Jamal was all about helping people and giving back to the community and I can’t think of a better way to give back than to try to save a life.”

*Brenda visited a Virgin Media O2 branch as it partners with British Heart Foundation to roll out more than 200 defibrillators across O2 stores in the UK. Until Thursday (Jan 26) the business will be raising awareness and urging more people to learn CPR on screens outside O2 stores nationwide.

READ NEXT:

For more of the latest showbiz news from Daily Star, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here .

Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk