Brenda Edwards shares tribute to late son Jamal on first Mother’s Day since his death

SBTV founder died in February from a sudden illness

Loose Women presenter Brenda Edwards has shared a sweet tribute to her late son Jamal as she marks her first Mother’s Day since his passing.

The founder of SBTV, who helped launch the careers of artists including Stormzy, Ed Sheeran and Dave, died from a sudden illness on 20 February at the age of 31.

News of his death sent shock waves throughout the UK, with dozens of musicians and other prominent figures paying tribute to the entrepreneur.

In a statement following his death, Brenda described her son as the “centre of [her] world”.

“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,” she said.

Taking to Instagram on Sunday, Brenda shared a collage of nine pictures of herself and Jamal, and Jamal with family and friends.

One shows Jamal as a young boy with his little sister, Tanisha, on his lap. Another shows Brenda as a young mother with both children.

“Always and Forever,” she captioned the post, adding a blue heart emoji.

The singer and TV presenter has received messages of support from famous faces. Alexandra Burke, Christine McGuinness and Duncan James commented with several red heart emojis. Singer Coleen Nolan wrote: “Love you.”

Jamal founded SBTV – named after his rap name SmokeyBarz – in 2006, when he was 15. In 2015, he was awarded an MBE by the Queen for his services to music.

Many leading figures in the music industry paid tribute to Jamal in the days following his death. In a post to Instagram, Ed Sheeran said he would “not be here without him”.

“Jamal is my brother. His light shone so bright. He only used it to illuminate others and never asked for anything in return,” he said.

“A star’s light shines for millions of years after they go, and his will continue to light up every dark moment, we are all witnessing his power.

“There will never be anything close to what he is, but I’m so grateful to have existed within his orbit. My brother, come on.”