British entrepreneur and YouTube star Jamal Edwards has died at the age of 31.
The music entrepreneur, who was awarded an MBE in 2014 at the age of 24 for his services to music, died on Sunday morning, his manager said.
In a statement read out by Susanna Reid on Good Morning Britain today, Brenda, a Loose Women panellist who found fame finishing fourth on the X Factor in 2005, said: ‘It is with deepest heartache that I confirm that my beautiful son Jamal Edwards passed away yesterday morning after a sudden illness. Myself, his sister and the rest of his family and friends are completely devastated. He was the centre of our world’.
She added: ‘As we come to terms with the passing we ask 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 and PHD.’
Edwards was also a director, author, DJ, entrepreneur and designer, and helped launch the careers of some of the world’s most successful musicians – including Ed Sheeran, Dave and Jessie J in a long list – through SBTV, Edwards’ platform, which began as a Youtube channel, before they were signed by major labels.
Jamal’s final Instagram post was a tribute to his ‘life brother’ Ed Sheeran. He wished his friend a happy birthday three days ago, sharing a picture of the friends together, captioned Marbella, Spain.
He wrote: ‘Happy Birthday to the OG, Ed. Blessed to have you in my life brother. You know you’ve been mates a long time when you lose count on the years! Keep smashing it & inspiring us all G!’
Mr Edwards’ death was revealed by his manager yesterday morning, but the cause of his death, a sudden illness, was not confirmed until his mother spoke out today.
