He’s gearing up to head down the aisle with partner of six years Stacey Solomon. And loved-up Joe Swash tells Closer that he and Stacey make a great team in their busy household of six.
“Me and Stacey are brilliant, everything is split down the middle. We cook 50-50, we have the kids 50-50, so no one’s hard done by,” actor and presenter Joe, 40, explains. “At the end of the day, they’re our children, we’ve both got exactly the same amount of love and passion for them. If anything, we argue about who’s holding the baby! We’re a good team, we work well as a family.”
The couple welcomed their first child together, Rex, in 2019, and their only daughter Rose followed on Stacey’s 32nd birthday in October last year. Stacey is also mum to Zachary, 14, and Leighton, 10, from previous relationships, and Joe shares 15-year-old Harry with his ex-fiancée, Emma Sophocleous.
And Joe says he loves being a parent to the brood, and that baby Rose is doted on by her older brothers – well, most of them!
“Before I had my kids, there was no real purpose in my life,” he admits. “Parenthood is so difficult and it’s not an easy road, but it’s the most fulfilling thing I’ve ever done in my life. I love it. I want to try and be as hands on as possible. They’re only small for a while before they grow into little adults, so I’m just making the most of it.”
Joe continues, “I think in the beginning, I was slightly more nervous about becoming a dad to Rose, because she was a little girl, and I’ve only had boys before so I know how robust they can be. But she’s just as robust as any of her brothers, if not more so! She loves to jump around, loves a little wrestle. She’s just learning to crawl as well, so she’s starting to move about. She’s doing really well.
“The bigger boys are very protective, as is Rex – but he gets a little bit jealous. Whenever I’ve got the baby, he says, ‘Daddy, put her down, I want you!’”
Joe and Stacey first met when she was crowned Queen of the Jungle on the 2010 series of I’m A Celeb!, and Joe – who had won the series two years earlier – was hosting its ITV2 spin-off show. Although the EastEnders star later admitted he had been attracted to the formerX Factor contestant, things didn’t pan out as Stacey was still in a relationship with Leighton’s father Aaron Barham at the time.
Six years later, Joe confirmed he was dating the Dagenham-born beauty, saying he was “really lucky”. And in December 2020, Stacey’s 5.2m Instagram fans were delighted when she announced Joe had popped the question during a romantic walk near their home on Christmas Eve. “To the moon and back bub. I have no words,” she wrote.
The pair will get married on 25 July at their £1.2m home – nicknamed Pickle Cottage – and the Sort Your Life Out presenter will walk down the aisle beneath the garden’s pergola to meet her future husband. Guests – who are expected to include Stacey’s Loose Women pals Nadia Sawalha and Linda Robson, and cleaning influencer Mrs Hinch – will then dine al fresco and put on their best karaoke performances during the reception.
“We can’t wait for the wedding,” Joe reveals. “It’s long overdue – we were meant to have it last year, but Covid stopped us. The good thing is Rose would have been in Mummy’s belly back then, so it’s lovely that she’ll be there now. There’s going to be a little role for all the kids within the ceremony, otherwise they’ll get the hump!”
Attending theatre school as a youngster, Joe’s big break came when he landed the part of Mickey Miller in EastEnders in 2003. After leaving Albert Square five years later – briefly returning for two episodes in 2011 – Joe has appeared on a number of reality shows, including Dancing On Ice and The Jump, and last year made it to the final three on Celebrity MasterChef.
So it’s unsurprising that his eldest son – who was briefly cast as Joe’s on-screen niece Summer Swann on the soap when he was a baby – wants to follow in his famous father’s footsteps.
“The kids are intrigued by what me and Stacey do, but Harry is the only one at the moment who has shown a firm interest,” Joe reveals. “He loves drama, performing arts and comedy, so I think he’s going to go to a drama academy. I’m so proud of him. Obviously, I’m apprehensive because it’s a cutthroat business to get into, and you’ve got to have a really thick skin. But I’m just trying to make sure he keeps his feet on the ground and doesn’t get too disheartened if things don’t go his way.”
After writing his debut cookery book, Joe says that breaking into the TV chef world is high on his agenda in the near future –but his long-term goals are, as always, family orientated.
“When I did MasterChef, I realised that cooking is a secret passion of mine,”Joe admits. “I really would love to get
into the cooking world and a TV show is definitely in my plan, as well as a few more cookbooks, and bringing out some new products as well.
“But as far as the five-year plan goes, I just want to bring these kids up really well, so that they’re a happy young man or lady. That’s my priority.”
“Hello Fresh have teamed up with Disney and Pixar for the new Lightyear film and have partnered together just to try and make mealtimes more entertaining and inclusive for the kids,” Joe says. “They've brought out 10 firm family favourite recipes, and made them step-by-step parents and kids can make them together. When you get children involved with the cooking I find there's less moaning about what they’re eating, because they're just proud of what they've made.
“Also, they’ve given you a step by step guide on how to make your own Buzz Lightyear spaceship out of the box, so you use every part of the kit, so the kids get entertained and they're fed. I just thought it was a lovely campaign, and I've worked with Hello Fresh previously, so I thought I'd love to jump on board and help them with this.”
Joe Swash has teamed up with HelloFresh to launch 10 limited-edition space-themed recipes, inspired by Disney and Pixar’s Lightyear film, which will be delivered to families across the UK with special Build Your Own Spaceship boxes to add some adventure away from the dinner table. For more information, visit hellofresh.