TV News Jade's bridesmaid Kate remembers her mate

A tribute to the reality star who died on Mother's Day last year by her best-friend, bridesmaid and director, Kate Jackson...

What do you hope the documentary will achieve?
"It was really important to Jade to raise the importance of smear tests. It had an effect for a certain amount of time, but the figures have started to level out again. So I really wanted to include in the film more details of her illness and show how important it is for women to get checked out and carry on Jade's message. I think it's what she would have wanted."

How has making the film affected you personally?
"I find sadness quite hard to deal with and by making the film I feel like I'm doing something for her still. It's so weird because usually when I make television I'm thinking about what everyone else wants - my bosses, the channel - but in this case I think about what she'd want. I hope I've made a film she'd be proud of."

When you say 'more details about her illness' what do you mean?
"There were some quite harrowing things she said on camera that we didn't feel appropriate to include in the films she made when she was fighting for her life. These are the last words she used to describe her illness. We've decided to include them this time to make women aware of the illness. The thing about Jade was she was incredibly honest and very good at putting feelings into sentences so you completely understood what she was going through. We have a lot more of this, which wasn't shown before."

Was this a difficult decision to make?
"Well not on my part, because I know Jade - I know her inside out and I know that the things she said to me on camera were the things she expected to be in the show. I have her voice in my head saying 'just be brave'. She was always so brave. Everyone else questioned if it was a good idea her filming and she said 'Why shouldn't I? This is what women should know about and I want to tell them'. So in my head, as far as Jade goes, it was an easy decision to make."

Can you tell me about the film and who features in it?
"This film is a combination of celebrating Jade and also seeing how everyone close to her has been coping. There's some beautiful footage of her. Also, those who have been close to her in life talk about the past year and how they're managing to cope. It features her mum, Jackiey Budden, who she had quite a difficult relationship with when she was younger, and how the cancer brought them closer together. I've also got an amazing interview with Jeff Brazier, the boys' father, who has been fantastic. I think Jade would be really proud of the decisions he's made."

Does her husband Jack Tweed feature in the film?
"I've got some quotes and interviews with his family. So yes it does cover Jack. It features what's happened to Jack. I did quite a close interview with his family. The person who is most heavily involved is his mum, Mary, and she was very, very close to Jade. I think it's been hard for her."

How are her young sons Bobby and Freddy doing?
"They're doing as well as they can be. They miss their mum. It's gone in stages, and I think it affects them both very differently because of their ages. I think the older one, Bobby, at first showed it more, and maybe later on, Freddie, is starting to realise that mummy definitely isn't coming back. But Jeff's done an amazing job with them and he's made sure that they're coping with it in the way they should be coping with it. He's very protective of them."

What do you miss most about her?
"Jade used to make me laugh so much, that's what I miss the most about her. She was an extraordinary woman who used her own situation to help save lives. She's also done very well for her kids. I really admire her and hope everyone walks away with that opinion."

This intimate documentary, Jade: A Year Without Her, screens on Sunday, 9pm, Living