Brooke Kinsella says late brother Ben ‘sent’ her baby boy
Brooke Kinsella has opened up about celebrating her son’s birthday on the anniversary of her brother’s death.
The ex-EastEnders’ brother, Ben, was stabbed to death in north London at the age of 16 in an unprovoked attack in 2008.
Speaking on today’s Lorraine, the ex-EastEnders actress who campaigned for knife crime prevention revealed that she’s in for a day-long ‘roller coaster’ as she prepares for both the 15th anniversary of her brother’s death and the her son’s birthday on June 29.
The campaigner, who set up the Ben Kinsella Trust with her family, said she believes her brother sent her a baby boy on that fateful date to make things “a little better”.
Her son is called Ben, after her brother.
Brooke Kinsella has been open about celebrating her son’s birthday on the anniversary of her brother Ben’s death, who was stabbed to death in North London in 2008.
Brooke’s son Ben, who was named after his late uncle, turns one Thursday as the family commemorates 15 years since Brooke’s brother’s death
Speaking of her son’s birth on the day of her brother’s death, Brooke said, “You couldn’t make it up. It’s taken a while because he turns a year old on Thursday, which is this great year for charity and my family,”
She added that the anniversary would be a “roller coaster of a day.”
“I do believe it was Big Ben who sent me Little Ben to make a really hard day a little bit better because I can’t just lay in bed or be sad right now. I have to get up and make the day for Ben [her son] too,” said Brooke.
“I called my mom as soon as I heard he was coming on that date, and she said, ‘Brooke, it’s a sign,'” the actress said.
“I watched my father and mother wake up on this horrible day and mourn and be sad and show their brave faces in front of their other children and that is what I will have to do now,” 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 made amends, it was just so unnecessary, the most precious life was without stolen for any reason. .’
And she also lamented the fact that 15 years after her brother’s death, the reality of knife crime in the UK has not improved.
“I’d give anything to sit here 15 years later and say we’re in a better place and all that work by 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 retiring from acting, Brooke has been campaigning to crack down on knife crime in honor of brother Ben, who was just 16 when he was killed (pictured)
“It’s such a complex issue, the work we do at the Ben Kinsella Teust, which is so important to us, is early intervention.
‘Children are simply not born with a knife, that is learned behaviour. Prevention is better than cure, it’s about “let’s not wait for them to make a mistake”.
“Let’s go in, let’s teach them about the consequences of their choices, and try 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 (pictures from his childhood)
She said her parents “never slept well” since her brother was killed and that although they made brave faces every day, “the light went out of their eyes the day he died.”
“But we just need to teach our kids that carrying a knife won’t protect you. And that’s what the majority of them think right now.
“They’re scared, they hear about knife crime everywhere, and they’re scared. And we need to eradicate that myth,” she continued.
She also stressed the importance of getting more people involved in the national effort to end knife crime.
“It’s a collective action, we can’t do it alone, we need everyone to do their part,” she said.
Brooke took to Instagram last year after welcoming her son on the day of her brother’s death.
She shared a photo of her baby and 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’ll do them so proudly, I already know.’
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 husband Simon would be welcoming a sibling to their family for their daughter Elsie, two.
The actress – who set up the Ben Kinsella Trust in his memory and was awarded an MBE for her charity work – previously admitted 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 mom is all I’ve ever wanted, but then again I can’t help but think of everyone who isn’t here to meet her. For me, Ben is the most important person missing.
“Obviously I love Elsie more than anything and because I loved Ben so much too, it’s heartbreaking to know they’ll never get a chance to meet.”
In 2018, Brooke assisted the EastEnders team during their investigation into a knife crime storyline in which the character Shakil Kazemi (Shaheen Jafargholi) was stabbed to death by a gang member.
In 2008, Ben, who was celebrating the end of his GCSEs, was walking home when he was separated from his friends and cornered by three men, who mistakenly believed he was involved in an earlier row in which they’ were not respected.
Michael Alleyne, 18, was imprisoned along with fellow gang members Jade Braithwaite, 20, and Juress Kika, 19, after stabbing 16-year-old Kinsella 11 times after he left Shillibeers Bar in Islington with friends.