After sparking concern by admitting she was “exhausted” and was planning to take a break from social media, Stacey Solomon delighted followers when she made a return to Instagram last week to announce her fourth pregnancy.
In a montage of pictures of herself, fiancé Joe Swash, and her three sons – Zachary, 13, and Leighton, nine, from previous relationships, and two-year-old Rex, whom she shares with Joe – Stacey, 31, who has nicknamed her children her “Pickles”, told her 4.4 million followers last week, “We’ve never felt so grateful... I have no words. We didn’t think we would get the chance.”
The Loose Women presenter said the pregnancy had come as a surprise. She bravely confessed that she’d been trying for another baby for “quite a while”, but had tragically suffered miscarriages amid her struggle to conceive again.
While excited by the joyful news, she also admitted, “I feel nervous for so many reasons.”
Her announcement came after fans had grown concerned over her health as, just days earlier, Stacey – who has openly spoken about her mental health battles and anxiety – revealed she was “exhausted”.
Stacey also confirmed she’s postponed her wedding, which was supposed to take place next month, saying she wanted all her babies in the photos. It comes after Closer revealed last week that she and Joe had been in talks about pushing it back as she was struggling with her hectic workload and renovating their new £1.2m Essex mansion.
And insiders say finding out she’s pregnant has been the sign she needs to take a step back and have a breather.
A source says, “Stacey felt a huge weight off her shoulders after her last scan, but being so unwell and worn out has really been a wake-up call for her to prioritise her mental wellbeing and her baby’s health, especially as they’ve struggled for a while to conceive again.”
And insiders reveal that, while she is feeling calmer since passing the three-month mark, her inner circle – including Vicky Pattison, the Loose Women gang and Sophie Hinchliffe aka Mrs Hinch – are doing everything they can to ensure she is feeling relaxed and not taking on too much.
The source says, “Her celebrity friends have been rallying around her and offering loads of support. They’ve begged her to slow down and told her to take all the time she needs so she doesn’t feel pressure or stress.
“It’s now quite clear that she’s been going through a lot of secret heartache and it’s only natural that she feels nervous because of it. However, they’re nursing her through it – as is Joe, who’s incredibly supportive – and have let her know that she can always offload on them and she doesn’t have to keep all her stresses and fears bottled up.
“The reason Stacey’s such a huge hit is because of her positive attitude and her infectious big smile – but behind the scenes, Stacey’s been going through so much. They’ve urged her to lean on them and reassured her that it’s OK to feel vulnerable and have down days.
“She has openly said she suffers with anxiety, so they’re hoping she can take her foot off the gas a bit and concentrate on herself. She has a huge support group around her who can help, so she doesn’t need to put on a brave face if she isn’t feeling good inside.”
Writing on her pregnancy reveal post, Stacey’s Loose Women co-star Nadia Sawalha hinted she already knew about the pregnancy, saying, “Have been praying it would stay a secret for as long as you wanted. Love you.”
Check out: The X Factor transformations - then and now
X Factor: The most shocking contestant transformations - SLIDER
1 of 15Leon Jackson
This spiky-haired teen won X Factor waaaaay back in 2007, scoring a Christmas number one with a cover of Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey's When You Believe. And, while there's no denying that he was cute, the X Factor champion was definitely a bit too baby-faced for us to lust over properly. But, nowadays, he's looking VERY sexy indeed, after switching up everything from his hairstyle to his workout regime at the gym. He definitely looks good on it, doesn't he? Read more about Leon jackson's comeback career here.
2 of 15Frankie Cocozza
When Frankie Cocozza joined The X Factor back in 2011, he was a scruffy 18-year-old with birds nest hair and a LOT of eye makeup. Nowadays he looks far more mature and (dare we say it?) mega hot, sporting a wee bit of stubble and curl mousse in favour of his velvet jackets of old. We love his new look - how about you? Read more about his transformation here.
3 of 15Ray Quinn
The X Factor star first burst into our lives as a sweet and fresh-faced teenager from Liverpool, starring as tormented child Anthony Murray in the Channel 4 soap opera, Brookside. When he was 18-years-old, he auditioned for The X Factor and survived right up until the show's final, where he lost out to Leona Lewis. Since then, we've seen him appear in Dancing On Ice and in several West End musicals - but, when he was dismissed from his record label in November 2007, he fell off the radar a little bit. Now he's back - and he's DEFINITELY become a fan of lifting weights, hasn't he? Read more about his transformation here.
4 of 15Eoghan Quigg
Eoghan was just 16-year-old when he shot to fame in the ITV competition in 2008, and made it all the way to the final where he finished in third place. He landed a record deal after the show, but was sadly dropped when his debut single limped in at number 96 on the Official UK Singles Chart. Since then, Eoghan has turned his back on music – and instead has made a bit of a name for himself in Irish football. And he looks completely different, doesn't he? Read more about his transformation here.
5 of 15Rhydian Roberts
Remember Rhydian Roberts, who came runner-up on the 2007 series of The X Factor? Well the classical crooner has shown off a completely different look on Twitter, and we almost didn't recognise him! Rhydian, 32, has clearly been spending A LOT of time at the gym, and proudly showed off his new beefed up physique. Alongside the saucy snaps, Rhydian sent a cheeky message to a fan. He wrote: "Hey Ga! Took it off for you. Now will you stop asking me to get naked for you!?? Hope you're satisfied ." Read more about his transformation here.
6 of 15Chris Maloney
X Factor's Christopher Maloney has shocked fans after revealing he spent £60,000 on cosmetic surgery following a nervous breakdown. After coming third in the talent show back in 2012, the 37-year-old fell into a deep depression which made even getting out of bed a struggle. Since leaving the show, Christopher has undergone three hair transplants, an eye lift and two nose jobs. He has also had teeth veneers. He told The Mirror: "I feel so much happier for it." Read more about his transformation here.
7 of 15Chloe Mafia
Remember when Chloe Mafia auditioned for The X Factor in 2010? Well, it seems like rejection from the show has done her no harm, as the Wakefield lass looks unrecognisable these days. In fact, Chloe - now known as Chloe Khan - is now a MILLIONAIRE and living a life of luxury overseas. She said: "My lifestyle is pretty incredible now – it's mansions and private jets and everything else that I could only imagine when I was younger." The money allowed her to completely reinvent herself with cosmetic surgery and designer clothes - and she's confessed to a boob job or two, as well as rhinoplasty. Read more about her transformation here.
8 of 15Jahmene Douglas
The shy and retiring singer shot to fame, thanks to his modest nature and sweet-as-an-angel voice, back on The X Factor in 2012. He finished in second place, and has since gone on to find success as a singer; in fact, his second album (which features collaborations with the likes of Diane Warren) is currently in the works. But Nicole Scherzinger's protégé hasn't just been working on his music; he's also been working on his look, too. Think makeup and VERY well manicured eyebrows - we're jealous. To critics of his new look, he said simply: "Any judgement of beauty will always be an opinion." Read more about his transformation here.
9 of 15Leigh-Anne Pinnock
One of the biggest X Factor success stories, Leigh-Anne Pinnock is now 1/4 of Little Mix - but she's just as prone to a makeover as her fellow former X Factor contestants. The songstress recently went and dyed her dark locks a bright shade of blonde - and she looked incredible! Read more about her transformation here.
10 of 15Sam Bailey
The mum-of-three burst into our lives as the prison guard with a very powerful voice - and we thought she looked beautiful. But there's no denying that the X Factor winner looks absolutely phenomenal nowadays, sporting a much more polished look.
11 of 15Cher Lloyd
Cher surprised us all when she burst out into R'n'B song Turn My Swag On back in 2010 - but she's ditched her rapper style for a far more polished look nowadays. In fact, Cher looks a LOT like her X Factor mentor, Cheryl Cole, nowadays, doesn't she?
12 of 15George Shelley
George first appeared as a baby-face solo artist when he auditioned with Britney Spears's Toxic back in 2012. Now in his 20s, he looks VERY different - with many labelling the Union J as the ULTIMATE man candy. Thoughts?
13 of 15Jedward
John and Edward Grimes were the X Factor twins with BOUNDS of energy and gravity defying uairsylts. Nowadays, however, they are all grown up now and they look pretty different from their days on the hit ITV talent show. They're still making music, sure, but they're sporting a much more grown up 'do - and we kinda love it. Way to go, Jedward!
14 of 15Katie Waissel
Not only has she ditched her tired looking bleach blonde looks, Katie Waissel has gone full on mummy mode, toning down her trademark indie rocker look in favour of relaxed leisurewear and a make-up free face.
15 of 15Emma Chawner
Emma first auditioned for X Factor in 2007 to scathing responses from Simon, before getting back up on the X Factor stage with her sister, Sam, a few years later. Now she's dropped an incredible 12 stone and exclusively told Closer magazine, "I'd love Simon to see me now – he wouldn't recognize me!"
And BFF Sophie Hinchliffe, who gave birth to son Lennie just days earlier, said, “My heart has been waiting for you to share this moment. I cannot wait to do this journey together again. You deserve all the happiness in the world. Bring on baby pickle.”
The former X Factor star recently revealed that she had suffered from post-natal depression after enduring a traumatic birth with Zachary when she was just 18 years old, admitting that she feared she would “never love my child”.
She added, “Even now, I have moments with Zachy where I think ‘Oh, I wish I loved you from the very minute.’ Not that I didn’t, I’m sure I did, I just didn’t feel it, and I didn’t get it. And it brings me tremendous guilt.”
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Stacey – who said she will “always be the teenage mum from Dagenham” – added, “When I had Rex I got exactly the same feelings, just gut-wrenching, deeply unhappy for no reason… I’m so happy but deeply unhappy and uncontrollably sobbing all the time.”
And opening up last year about her anxiety battle – which she’s suffered from since childhood – she confessed, “I don’t know life without it. I genuinely don’t think it will go away no matter how much therapy I have.”
Friends say that Stacey is secretly hoping that she might have a daughter. “Deep down, she’d love a little girl,” says the source. “However, she’s just so happy to have this chance to be a mum again and to add another baby into their beautiful family.”
Get the best celeb interviews in Closer magazine each week.