Stacey Solomon's come a very long way from the shy 19-year-old Essex girl who won the hearts of millions of fans on The X Factor.
And now, Stacey's life in the spotlight is poised to skyrocket after Hollywood actress Reese Witherspoon’s US production company, Hello Sunshine, has teamed up with her for a DIY show on Channel 4 called Bricking It.
Taking to Instagram Stories, Stacey couldn’t contain her excitement, writing, “[Hello Sunshine] asked me if I wanted to make a show with them, and I was like, ‘Hell yeah! I’ll make a show with Reese Witherspoon’s production company!’ They’re words I never thought I’d say!”
But insiders say while it’s an incredibly exciting time, Stacey, 33 – who is pregnant with her fifth child – is worried about feeling overwhelmed.
A source says, “This huge offer has completely come out of the blue for Stacey – and at a time when she had vowed to be slowing down her career as she gets ready to welcome her fifth child. She is both excited and terrified by what the future holds as she tries to get her head around it all.
“Stacey has been told that if works out well, then the company would be looking to syndicate some of her shows on US screens and other places around the world – which could turn her into a global celebrity and completely change her career. It’s all come as a shock, but it could be a huge move for her.”
Since coming third on The X Factor in 2009, Stacey has built up a glittering career outside of music, including fronting the BBC’s Sort Your Life Out, securing a place on the Loose Women panel and publishing self-help book Tap To Tidy. Stacey – whose net worth is estimated to be around £4m – has also amassed 5.5m followers on Instagram and is thought to earn around £12k per sponsored post.
She has had success in her private life too, finding love with popular TV presenter and former EastEnders star Joe Swash and living in an idyllic cottage with her children Zachary, 14, Leighton, 10 – from previous relationships – and Rex, three, and Rose, 15 months. And insiders add that Stacey is weighing up how her latest project could impact life at Pickle Cottage.
“Stacey’s worry is that she could get a dream work offer in the US off the back of this, but she would have no idea how it works in terms of leaving her family behind while she did that,” a source explains to Closer. “She is such a homebody and wouldn’t want to be apart from Joe for ages. She doesn’t want them ending up leading separate lives.”
Last month, the mum-of-four revealed her worry about being left with nothing if her career was to take a nosedive. She said, “You’re constantly thinking, ‘I’d better hold on to that and I’d better not waste that’ because in a few months’ time I could be on the streets.”
But the source adds that her friends are encouraging her to take her time and not feel rushed into anything.
“Stacey keeps asking her friends and family to pinch her as she can’t believe this is all real. All her dreams are happening at once and she’s determined to keep her feet on the ground. She has promised Joe and the kids that nothing is going to change.”
