Inside Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash’s secret marriage dramas – from rows and ‘rocky’ dynamics to Joe being ‘scared’
AFTER almost a decade of being together, Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash opened up their home for a new fly on the wall documentary coming in spring 2025.
The couple have always been candid about their relationship dramas and are said to have “not held back when it comes to showing the highs and lows” during filming.
Stacey, 35, and Joe, 43, have been together since 2016 and got married in July 2022 at their home, Pickle Cottage.
They share three children together – their son Rex Toby Francis, five, daughter Rose Opal Esme, three, and Belle, two.
Stacey had her first son Zachary, 16, as a young mother at 17, and later went on to have Leighton, 12. Joe has a son named Harry, 17, from a previous relationship.
Back in November, they were spotted by fans having what looked like a row in the street that left Stacey in tears.
One onlooker recognised the famous couple and saw Joe storming down the road while furiously puffing on a vape.
The pair had a camera crew with them, and Stacey was reportedly inconsolable while she was seen hugging a member of production.
With their fly-on-the-wall documentary set to air in the coming months with even more drama, we take a look at the candid relationship confessions of Stacey and Joe…
‘That’s self-care for us’
Amid the chaos of their work schedules and raising a blended family, Stacey has revealed that her self-care rituals don’t include massages or even a bubble bath.
In fact, she and Joe prefer to do something “mind-numbing”.
“Self-care for me looks like when all the kids are in bed and I don’t have any work to do in the evening,” she told Grazia earlier this year.
“I’ll play cards with my family which I love.
“Or Joe and I will sit on the sofa and not talk to each other and watch some mind-numbing TV. That’s self-care for us.
“It’s not a bubble bath, I’m lucky if I have time to wash my important bits in the shower!”
An insider told The Sun back in November: “Stacey and Joe are such homebodies and love nothing more than spending time with their children.
“They will also not hold back when it comes to showing the highs and lows of family life.”
Stacey Solomon's career so far
Stacey Solomon has been a familiar face on viewers' screens for over a decade. Let's take a look back at her career.
The X Factor (2009): Stacey competed in series six of long-running ITV singing competition The X Factor. During her time in the show, she was mentored by Danni Minogue in the ‘Girls’ category. The star finished in third place, behind Joe McElderry and Olly Murs.
I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here (2010); In late 2010, Stacey headed to the infamous I’m A Celeb Aussie jungle. After 21 days, she triumphed to win the tenth series. It was through I’m A Celeb that she met future husband Joe Swash – who’d won two years earlier and was hosting the ITV2 spinoff.
Celebrity Juice (2011―2013, 2016―2019): The star appeared as a panellist on 21 episodes of the comedy panel game show hosted by Keith Lemon. Stacey was a regular in the 21st series, broadcast in 2019.
Loose Women (2016 – present): Stacey has been a permanent panel member of the daytime show since 2016. She previously made guest appearances in 2011 and 2012.
Sort Your Life Out (2022 -present): This BBC show sees Stacey, with the help of an expert team, transform participants’ living spaces after removing clutter.
‘I’m slightly scared’
Stacey is famed for her organisational skills and has carved out a niche corner of the internet to showcase them.
Ever since her Instagram series, Tap To Tidy, took off, she has released a book with the same name and hosted a series of DIY, decluttering and renovation shows.
Among them are BBC’s Sort Your Life Out, Crafty Christmas and Renovation Rescue.
But it seems what Stacey is loved for by her hoards of fans also causes tension at Pickle Cottage between her and Joe.
It took Stacey a while to whip me into shape, to be fair… I’m slightly scared of opening cupboards.
Joe Swash
He said in a recent interview: “It took Stacey a while to whip me into shape, to be fair. It involved a lot of making me go back and tidy up the mess I’d left behind.
“I’m slightly scared of opening cupboards.
“We’ve got all our crisps on a tension rod hanging on little pegs. Now,sometimes when I;m in a rush, I’ll just grab one and pull the whole tension rod down.
“The crisps will go everywhere. I’ll get in a panic.”
‘The blended family situation has been rocky’
Stacey and Joe have a big, blended family. But there’s no denying that sharing six kids is going to be hard at times.
She even addressed this in a Father’s Day 2023 Instagram post dedicated to Joe.
It read: “Joe, I know it’s not easy and blended families are complicated to say the least…But you make it all seem effortless.
“You’re the most incredible husband, father and father figure to ALL of our children and I feel every emotion raising our family with you.
The blended family situation has been a rocky road. That has never been easy. We have always had to work really hard to make sure everyone feels secure
Stacey Solomon
“Everyone else comes first and nothing is ever too much.”
This wasn’t the first time Stacey had expressed the sentiment either – she shared these feelings in an October 2022 podcast interview with Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe.
She said: “The blended family situation has been a rocky road. That has never been easy.
“We have always had to work really hard to make sure everyone feels secure.”
‘Putting her foot down‘
An insider told Closer about the pair’s marriage in December last year: “Stacey has been ruthless this year at Pickle Cottage, completely decluttering the house from top to bottom.
“She’s been hoping that Joe will follow her lead and start trying to sort his life out at home, too.
“She has joked about how messy he is and that opposites attract, but the reality is that seeing his stuff laying around their bedroom can drive her mad.”
According to this source the mum-of-five is “putting her foot down” in a bid to get Joe to “get his act together”.
They added: “She does a lot for him, but in the New Year she’s going to really put her foot down and tell him to get his act together, start organising his clothes more and get rid of any unwanted stuff from his ‘man cave’.”
The source also claimed that Stacey has joked about her husband having countless hoodies and T-shirts that “all look the same”. Not only this, but he has “gadgets that he’s never used” and “gardening tools collecting dust”.
The insider recognised: “She’s ordered him to do an inventory of it all and completely sort the house with her.
“She wants them to be more of a team, so it’s not always about her nagging him and instead about getting him onto the same page as her in 2025.”