Jamal Edwards: what did his mum Brenda’s Loose Women co host Charlene White say about SBTV founder’s death?

Charlene White opened Monday’s Loose Women with an emotional tribute to Jamal Edwards, who was the son of regular panellist Brenda Edwards.

In a sombre introduction to the ITV show, White said: “Our Brenda’s son, Jamal Edwards, tragically passed away from a short illness.

“Any of you who regularly watch this show know that the love Brenda had for both Jamal and daughter Tanisha was massive. I mean, her heart was full of so much love for these children.

“So you know just how shocked Bender is and just how hard it's hit all of us who knew him and of course, all of us who love Brenda.”

White also criticised the way that Jamal’s death was reported on social media.

“The opportunity to share Brenda's loss and the family’s loss was taken away from Brenda because of various people on social media who decided to tell Brenda’s story and to tell Jamal’s story without consulting Brenda, which was not fair.”

She added: “A lot of Jamal's incredible work was done through social media and done online and all of these things. You know he is a powerhouse. He changed the UK music scene, one man changed the UK music scene in a way that we've not seen for generations. He was huge.

“But what people have to understand is there is work life and there is family life and there is home life.”

“It should have been Brenda who was able to choose when the world knew about her loss and that was taken away from her,” White said.

She added that she had spent Sunday evening with Brenda White and co-host Judi Love after discovering the news.

Love said: “I think people see us on Loose Women and see us on stage together, but it’s so much bigger than that.

“If I’m honest, I don’t want to be here doing this. I don’t want to have to do this, but we have to.”

Who was Jamal Edwards?

News of the death of the SBTV founder at the age of 31 was announced earlier.

The entrepreneur helped launch the careers of acts including Dave, Ed Sheeran and Jessie J through his influential online platform, which he founded in 2006 as a YouTube channel.

He gained fame from setting up SBTV in 2006, a web-based platform championing new music, particularly in the genres of hip-hop and grime.

Edwards was a teenager when he launched the broadcasting and production film channel to upload clips he had recorded of his friends performing on the estate where he lived in Acton, west London.

By 2014, he had amassed an estimated fortune of around £8 million, and had worked with and helped to launch the UK music careers of the likes of Jessie J, Emeli Sande, Dave, and Ed Sheeran.

He was also an ambassador for the Prince’s Trust, a charity headed by the Prince of Wales, and in 2014 he was awarded an MBE for his services to music.

Who is Brenda Edwards?

Loose Women panellist Brenda Edwards is a singer who finished in fourth place in the second series of The X Factor.

In a statement read out on ITV’s Good Morning Britain and shared on Loose Women’s Twitter account, Edwards said: “It is with the deepest heartache that I confirm that my beautiful son Jamal Edwards passed away yesterday morning after a sudden illness.

“Myself, his sister Tanisha, and the rest of his family and friends are completely devastated. He was the centre of our world.

“As we come to terms with his passing, we asked for privacy to grieve this unimaginable loss. I would like to thank everyone for their messages of love and support.

“Jamal was an inspiration to myself and so many. Our love for him lives on, his legacy lives on. Long live Jamal Edwards MBE, MBA, PhD.”

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