How Stacey Solomon turned Joe Swash from eternal bachelor to the ultimate family man with 6 kids

STACEY Solomon and Joe Swash tied the knot at their idyllic Pickle Cottage home nearly three years ago, on July 24, 2022.

The romantic, intimate ceremony took place in the garden of their £1.2million Essex house and marked a brand new chapter in their fairytale relationship.

It was a long time coming for both Joe 43, and Stacey, 35, who will be starring on screens tonight in their new self-titled fly on the wall series.

Viewers will soon be able to tune in to their major fly-on-the-wall BBC reality show, Stacey & Joe.

The six-part series was filmed during the summer and autumn of 2024, and will see cameras follow the lives of Stacey and Joe, their six children, four ducks and two dogs.

Stacey and Joe will be seen raising their ‘pickles’, the name they've dubbed their children who include, Stacey's son's Zach, Leighton, their joint children, Rex, Rose and Belle, and Joe's son, Harry, 17, from a previous relationship.

Some of the big moments documented in the series include Zach waiting nervously for his GCSE results and Stacey winning big at the National Television Awards.

Stacey said: “2024 was the year me and Joe pushed ourselves out of our comfort zones. We took on different projects and tried new things. It’s been so amazing and nerve-wracking all at the same time.

“And we just want to keep doing that in 2025, starting with Stacey & Joe.”

But it appears the couple have both had to overcome a few obstacles before they reached their happily ever after.

Before Joe settled into his role as a family man with his and Stacey’s blended family, Joe spent years on the single market.

The ex-EastEnders actor also endured the heartbreak of a ‘tricky’ court battle with his ex-girlfriend over his eldest child Harry.

But, Joe moved on from his past heartbreak and settled down with his dream woman, as revealed by Fabulous, where he has become the ultimate family man.

THE ETERNAL BACHELOR

Before he fell into the arms of his Loose Women star wife in 2016, Joe spent six years single.

His previous relationship had been with fellow EastEnders actor, Kara Tointon.

The pair first met in 2005 when they played Mickey Miller and Dawn Swann on the soap, but it wasn’t until after Joe left the show in 2008 they became a couple – however, it was short-lived love with the pair parting ways in 2010.

Prior to Kara, Joe’s only other known long-term relationship was with the mother of his son Harry, Emma Sophocleus.

Emma and Joe dated between 2005 and 2008, when their relationship famously ended.

COURT BATTLES

When he began dating Stacey, not only did Joe have to adjust to living with her two eldest children – Zachary and Leighton – he also had to introduce her family to his own son, Harry.

The dad has previously hinted about his ‘tricky’ relationship with Harry’s mum Emma, revealing the pair had to go to court to settle custody issues over their son.

Speaking about it on the podcast, Step Life, Joe explained: “With me and Harry, it was tricky with his mum.

“We had to go to court...so in hindsight, it's a great thing. But it's been a strange one for Hal – he's had to do a lot of adapting.

“I do feel quite sorry for Hal for what he's had to go through.

“Me and Hal, we're in each other's lives on a daily basis now.

“We talk to each other every day, we see each other every couple of days, he only lives 20 minutes away from me, and at the beginning, maybe even five years ago, it's completely different to what it is now.”

SLOW BURNER

Stacey and Joe have both said their relationship had a good foundation as they were firm friends before anything turned romantic.

The pair were introduced during I’m A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! in 2010, where they formed a great friendship.

Joe later admitted he always fancied Stacey but it wasn't the right time to pursue anything romantically.

Six years later, however, the pair finally got together, and sparked dating rumours in January 2016 when Stacey posted a snap of herself on a spa weekend stating that she felt like a “new woman”.

Just days later she was spotted arm-in-arm with Joe in Essex.

That same month, Stacey made it official on Instagram – sharing a snap of her new boyfriend with some flowers.

Whilst they seemed loved up to fans, the couple admitted sparks didn’t immediately fly, with Joe remarking how his first kiss with Stacey was like “kissing a dead person”;.

“We’re very blended and we make it work.

Joe Swash

Appearing on Shopping With Keith Lemon, Joe told how the pair got close in Australia when Stacey was a guest on the spin-off show I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! NOW! which he presented.

He said: “We spent loads of time together and before I knew it she was going home so I thought, I'll make a move.”

Stacey added: “He opened the door and he just jumped on me. Keith, I didn't know what to do so I just stood there like this.”

To this, Joe then quipped: “It was like kissing a dead person! She didn't move, no tongue action, it was all me. With my tongue, I was trying to find her tongue. I was like, ‘What's going on here?’”;

BLENDED BUNCH

The adorable couple moved in together in Essex in October 2018 after three years of dating and have paved the way for other blended families, with both having kids from previous relationships.

After the court's ruling, Joe's relationship with his son has flourished and Harry has become part of the wider family.

The Loose Women panellist's elder children are also from previous relationships with Dean Cox and Aaron Barham.

Together, Joe and Stacey welcomed baby boy Rex Toby Francis Swash, on May 23, 2019, Rose Opal Esme Solomon-Swash was born in October 2021 and Belle on February 7, 2023.

Belle, of which the name means “beautiful”; in French, is a “special connection to [your] Rose”; and “will forever”; remind Joe and Stacey of “the bluebells that are about to bloom as [she] sprang into the world”;.

Speaking about their family dynamic, Joe told OK! Magazine: “We’re very blended and we make it work. But like every blended family, it’s a constant progression and a journey.

“One of the kids may not be happy with something, another one with something else, so you’re always adapting.

“There’s no right or wrong way of doing it, you’ve just got to try to do what’s best for everyone and remember that everyone’s got a point of view, even the kids.”;

FAMILY MAN

Since moving in with his now wife, Joe has left his bachelor past behind and has fully embraced his role as a dad and stepdad.

In fact, he could now be described as the ultimate family man, delighting in doing the school run, whipping up meals for the kids, and maintaining a good work/life balance alongside Stacey.

Joe revealed: “[All the kids] go to different schools, [have different] activities and have their own lives. But we manage it.

“When Stacey’s having a busy period, I’ll take some time off work and do the school run and other bits. And when I’m busy, Stacey will.”;

When he has time, Joe loves to cook a family feast, and his love of making food inspired him to sign up to the 2021 series of MasterChef.

Since I’ve had the kids I feel a lot more settled

Joe Swash

He shared: “I do cook at home for the kids – a bit of pasta, dishes that everyone can cook.

“And I love making a Sunday roast. That’s the reason I wanted to do the show, so I could learn some skills and techniques to pass on to the family.”

Meanwhile, Joe admitted he's seen a big change in himself since meeting Stacey and settling down.

He continued: “I’ve always been a little bit of a live wire and got FOMO really badly and wanted to be in the thick of things, out with my pals.

“I was also a little bit scatty. But since I’ve had the kids I feel a lot more settled and don’t feel the need to go out and get drunk.

“I just really love being with my kids. There’s never a dull day.”;

HAPPILY EVER AFTER

In December 2020, Joe proposed to Stacey with a huge diamond ring on a walk in the woods.

She posted a picture of her flashing the ring, overcome with emotion, as she lay back on a huge bunch of flowers, and the caption alongside it read: “He asked me to marry him and after crying for what felt like a very long time… I said yes”, with several emojis of a heart and diamond ring.

She then added a personal message to Joe and penned: “To the moon and back bub. I have no words.”

But the couple didn’t say ‘I Do’ until July 24, 2022 in a private ceremony at their home Pickle Cottage surrounded by family and friends.

The couple and their family moved into their Essex home in March 2022 and the Tap To Tidy author shared the news with fans by posting a photo with a gushing tribute to her family, writing: “Home Sweet Home. And so a new chapter begins. We can not even describe how strange it feels that this is home.

“Never in a million years did we ever think this would be. We feel so lucky and are so grateful to have found this hidden treasure closer to our family and further out.”

We can’t wait to fill it with love and give it our everything. To raise our family here. And to just start a fresh. I’m very emotional for some reason. It still hasn’t sunk in and doesn’t quite feel real.”;

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