Inside Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash's rows - 'It can be stressful at times'
Between raising six children and juggling non-stop working lives, Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash certainly have their hands full. And now, a source has told OK! that as the couple both rise to the top of their career game, it's all about striking that perfect balance.
“Stacey and Joe are like ships passing in the night at the moment. They’re both so busy with work right now and taking up every opportunity that comes their way,” claimed the source. “They both know they’re at the top of their game career-wise and they are both desperate to secure a great future for their kids.”
Stacey, 34, is mum to sons Zachary, 16 and Leighton, 11, from previous relationships, while she shares Rex, four, Rose, two, and one-year-old Belle with Joe. Presenter Joe, 42, also has a son, Harry, 16, from his previous relationship.
While the couple are clearly doting parents and often share adorable insights into family life via Instagram, becoming a blended family - and looking after such a big brood - was never going to be an easy task.
Opening up about the struggles of creating a dynamic which works for them, Stacey said in 2022, “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.”
Despite appearing to have succeeded on that front, Stacey and Joe have been kept extremely busy since welcoming their youngest child, Rose, last year.
Stacey has returned to the small screen with her Channel 4 programme Stacey Solomon's Renovation Rescue and her BBC show Sort Your Life Out. She has also released a new childrenswear collection with Primark this month.
Explaining that the busy schedule can take its toll, the source claimed, “Stacey does suffer from imposter syndrome and is always terrified about it being taken away from her - she is so grateful for all the work that she is offered, so feels she has to take it up."
They added, “And when they’re both busy, it can be manic at Pickle Cottage as they not only are they working lots, but they are also dealing with three small children as well as the needs of their older kids, who have to split their time between different homes.
"Throw in sleepless nights and it can be stressful, at times.”
Previously describing her relationship with her husband as ‘passing ships’, Stacey shared, “Joe and I can be like ships passing in the night... When I work he looks after the kids, and when he works I have the kids”.
Joe recently appeared on an episode of Stacey’s Renovation Rescue show, where their playful bickering was aired out on screen.
As Stacey was sorting out the garage in their Essex home, Joe exclaimed, "What have you done to my garage? The proportions of this garage is the proportions of how our relationship works," which got Stacey chuckling as he quipped, "You're getting 85 [per cent] and I'm getting 15 [per cent]."
Stacey then shot back: "Well, we might as well continue as we started," before adding, "It's better if we keep the DIY to one person, that person being me. Because I'm much better at it than Joe!" Not having any of it, Joe fired back: "Do me a favour, we'll do one brick each, yeah?"
Meanwhille, romance - as with so many busy couples - appears to have taken a back seat as they focus on work and the children, with Stacey recently admitting to forgetting her other half's birthday.
They did head out on a date night to mark the occasion, but not before Stacey had a mad dash to the local shopping centre on Friday night, to pick him up some gifts and cards from her and the kids.
Stacey and Joe tied the knot in a gorgeous ceremony in their own garden back in July 2022, seven months after Joe popped the question on Christmas Eve. The couple had been dating for around six years before saying ‘I Do’.
And, while things can be hectic, the source adds that they’re still utterly smitten with one another - and Stacey is very grateful for her husband.
“Stacey knows she’s very lucky to have someone like Joe. He’s the most amazing dad,” they assured.
The couple did manage to find some quality time recently when they headed on a cute camper van holiday with the kids in tow. Enjoying a trip to Kent Coast Holiday Park, the couple shared a number of loved-up snaps to social media as they escaped the pressures of work for a few precious days.
Adding that Joe is hoping for more times like this as a family, the source claimed, “Joe also thinks Stacey should worry less and be more spontaneous, like when they went away in the camper van and the recent last minute stay in the holiday park.
“He says she needs to worry less and not care what people think. He wants to do more things like that this summer and embrace this time they’ve got with the kids when they’re young."
Either way, these two are doing an incredible job of balancing it all and it's clear that, despite the odd light-hearted row, the love is real.
