Brooke Kinsella says she believes her brother Ben, who was stabbed to death 15 years ago, ‘sent her’ her baby son on the anniversary of his death to make the day ‘a little bit better’
- Brooke Kinsella opened up about her brother Ben on today’s Lorraine
- READ MORE: Ex-EastEnders actress Brooke Kinsella faces ‘rollercoaster of emotions’ as 15th anniversary of her brother’s stabbing approaches
Brooke Kinsella has opened up about celebrating her son’s birthday on the anniversary of her brother’s death.
The ex-EastEnders’s brother Ben was stabbed to death in North London aged 16, during an unprovoked attack in 2008.
Speaking on today’s Lorraine, the ex-EastEnders actress turned knife crime prevention campaigner, revealed that she faces a ‘roller-coaster’ of a day as she prepares to mark both the 15th anniversary of her brother’s death and her son’s birthday on 29th June.
The campaigner, who founded the Ben Kinsella Trust with her family, said she believes her brother sent her a baby boy on that fateful date to make it ‘a little bit better.’
Her son is named Ben after her brother.
Brooke Kinsella has opened up about celebrating her son’s birthday on the anniversary of the death of her brother Ben, who was stabbed to death in 2008 in North London
Brooke’s son Ben, who is named after his late uncle, will turn one on Thursday, as the family marks 15 years since the death of Brooke’s brother
Speaking of giving birth to her son on the day of her brother’s death, Brooke said: ‘You couldn’t make it up. It’s taken a bit of getting my head around, because he turns one on Thursday, which is this huge year for the charity and my family,’
She added the anniversary would be a ‘rollercoaster of a day.’
‘I truly believe it was Big Ben sending me Little Ben to make a really tough day a little bit better, because I can’t now just lie in bed or be sad. I’m going to have to get up and make the day for Ben [her son] as well,’ Brooke said.
‘I called my mum as soon as I found that he had to come that date, and she said “Brooke, it’s a sign”,’ the actress recounted.
‘I watched my mum and dad wake up on this horrendous day and grieve and be sad and they put their brave face on for their other children and that’s what I will have to do now going forward,’ she concluded.
Reflecting on the 15th anniversary of her brother’s death, Brooke told Lorraine: ‘I don’t think there would have been any reason that would have helped or make it okay, it was just so unnecessary, the most precious life stolen for absolutely no reason.’
And she also regretted the fact that 15 years on after her brother’s death, the reality of knife crime in the UK has not improved.
‘I would give anything 15 years on to be sitting here saying we are in a better place and that all that work from the Ben Kinsella Trust and my family and so many other families has helped, but we’re not, we’re just as bad as it’s ever been,’ she said.
Since she stopped acting, Brooke has campaigned to tackle knife crime in honour of brother Ben, who was just 16 when he was killed (pictured)
‘It’s such a complex issue, the work that we do at the Ben Kinsella Teust which is so important to us is early intervention.
‘Quite simply, children aren’t born carrying a knife, it’s a learned behaviour. Prevention is better than cure, it’s about “let’s not wait for them to make a mistake”.
‘Let’s get in there, let’s teach them about the consequences their choices will have, and trying to educate them and give them the tools to make the right choices, to keep themselves safe,’ she continued.
Brooke stressed the importance of deterrents and punishment and justice for the victims and their families.
Ben was stabbed to death in June 2008 on a night out with friends when he was just 16 years old (childhood pictures)
She said that her parents have ‘never slept properly again’ since her brother was murdered and that while they put on brave faces every day, ‘the light went out from their eyes the day he died’
‘But we just need to teach our children, carrying a knife is not going to protect you. And that’s what the majority of them think at the moment.
‘They are scared, they hear about knife crime everywhere, and they are scared. And we need to eradicate that myth,’ she went on.
She also stressed the importance for more people to get involved in the national effort to end knife crime.
‘It’s a collective action, we can’t do it on our own, we need everybody to do their little bit,’ she said.
Brooke took to Instagram last year after welcoming her son on the day of her brother’s death.
READ MORE: Brooke Kinsella gives birth! Actress welcomes ‘miracle’ baby boy and names him Ben in tribute to her late brother after going into labour on the 14th anniversary of his death
Sharing a picture of her baby, she wrote: ‘Ben Ross Boardley 29/06/22.
A perfect miracle given to us on a day when so much was taken away.
‘Named after the very best of men. He will do them so proud, I know it already.’
The 38-year-old star – who played Kelly Taylor in EastEnders for three years from 2001 to 2004 – announced in March last year that she and her husband Simon were to welcome a sibling into their family for their daughter Elsie, two.
The actress – who founded the Ben Kinsella Trust in his memory and has been awarded an MBE for her charity work – previously admitted that it was ‘heartbreaking’ for her that her daughter Elsie would never meet her uncle.
She said: ‘It’s a double-edged sword. Being Elsie’s mum is everything I’ve ever wanted, but on the other hand I can’t help but think about everyone who isn’t here to meet her. For me, the main person missing out is Ben.
‘Obviously, I love Elsie more than anything and having loved Ben so much as well it’s heartbreaking to know the two of them will never get the chance to meet.’
Back in 2018, Brooke assisted the team on EastEnders during their research for a knife crime storyline which saw the character Shakil Kazemi (Shaheen Jafargholi) stabbed to death by a gang member.
In 2008, Ben who had been out celebrating the end of his GCSEs, was walking home when he was separated from his friends and cornered by three men, who wrongly believed he was involved in an earlier argument in which they were ‘disrespected’.
Michael Alleyne, 18, was jailed alongside fellow gang members Jade Braithwaite, 20, and Juress Kika, 19, after they stabbed 16-year-old Kinsella 11 times after he left the Shillibeers Bar in Islington with friends.
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