They’re usually the picture of happiness, but Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash were reportedly spotted arguing recently while filming their new reality show, with pictures showing Joe storming off and Stacey being consoled by a member of the production team.
The images and reports worried fans – but a source tells Closer the Loose Women star, 35, and former EastEnders actor, 42, are still madly in love and the blip came during a heated moment before Stacey jetted off to Las Vegas with pals.
The insider reveals, ‘Stacey has been feeling incredibly overwhelmed since they started filming the reality show and has admitted that she didn’t fully realise just how intense it would be.
‘She thought she had mentally prepared herself for filming, but now admits she had no idea what it would entail. She regrets not understanding the mental toll it would take not only on her, but on her family too. The schedule has been physically demanding and having a filming crew around 24/7 is exhausting.
‘The row was over something silly that just escalated and blew up into a bigger drama than it should have. It all stemmed from Stacey being exhausted and emotionally worn out.’
Stacey – who rose to fame on The X Factor in 2009 – and Joe’s fly-on-the-wall show, named Escape To Pickle Cottage, will arrive on the BBC next year. It’ll offer fans a glimpse into the couple’s home life with their blended family, which includes Joe’s son Harry, 17, Stacey’s sons Zachary, 16, and Leighton, 12, and the children they share together – son Rex, five, and daughters Rose, three, and Belle, one.
But Stacey has previously opened up about suffering from anxiety, revealing in 2018 that she’d had therapy for her ‘debilitating’ mental health struggle.
And the source adds, ‘The show has been triggering her anxiety and causing rows with Joe, which she fears is going to also shed a negative light on their marriage.
‘They’re madly in love and it’s no secret the pressure of having young kids in such short succession has been tough, but Stacey is now petrified that she’s turning into someone she doesn’t recognise and is concerned it’s going to cause a permanent wedge between her and Joe.
‘Stacey’s been so worried that, shortly after their fight, she broke down to Joe – insisting it was all too much and how she couldn’t do this anymore amid the pressure of it all. She was worrying that they’d made a mistake agreeing to it in the first place.’
But the insider adds that Joe – who tied the knot with the TV presenter in 2022 after seven years of dating – has been consoling his wife, who enjoyed a lavish four-day trip to Vegas earlier this month where she went to an Adele concert with some of her closest friends.
The source adds, ‘Joe has been incredibly supportive of Stacey and has been reassuring her it’ll all be OK. He told her that her Vegas trip was coming at a perfect time and that she should take some much-needed rest. He advised her to use the time away to think about everything when she’s in a calmer, more peaceful headspace and make a decision once she’d calmed down.
‘Stacey agreed he was right and promised she’d use the trip to address the situation – admitting that she often works herself up into a state when anxious. She later realised that a lot of her upset was down to her anxiety, not the situation itself.’
Stacey revealed her trip had come at the right time, taking to social media while she was away to tell her followers she was ‘feeling free’.
She said, ‘I can’t describe what I’ve felt spending time away with my girls. I didn’t know how much I needed this. I am such a home girl but time away isn’t as scary as I thought. In fact, it’s fed my soul.’
And the source confirms to Closer that the holiday with friends gave Stacey time for reflection.
The source says, ‘After having time to reflect on her trip, she decided to carry on with the show – vowing to stop getting worked up over small things and just be honest when she needed a break.
‘She knows that she can be easily overwhelmed and tries to juggle too many things, so she promised Joe and her family that she would remember that she’s in the driving seat and would be vocal when she’s struggling and flag when she needs some time out.
‘Having Joe’s understanding and support means the world to her, and while she knows it would be completely unnatural if they didn’t ever have another spat, she feels one hundred times better now that she’s got it off her chest. She’s excited to move forward with a clearer, calmer mindset.’