Stacey Solomon might be a successful TV star and influencer, but she considers herself a mum first and foremost. So, considering how often she’s spoken about adding to her brood, it came as a surprise when she acknowledged she and husband Joe Swash were done having kids.
In the second series of their family reality show Stacey & Joe – which returns to screens this week – the mum of five, 35, admits to Joe, 43, that she thinks they’ve had their ‘last baby’, before adding, ‘That’s why I’m getting more animals.’ And while Stacey made light of her decision, insiders reveal to heat that it’s been a really difficult one.
‘Stacey has been very open in the past about wanting more children and an even larger family with Joe,’ we’re told. ‘Despite everything she does on TV, and in spite of all she’s achieved in the media, one thing comes before anything else – being a mother to her children. She absolutely adores the time she spends with her family and cherishes every second.
‘That’s why the idea of her not having any more kids is a really difficult reality for her to face. She’s still young enough, but at the moment, she’s come to the decision that it’s probably not going to be happening. She’s spoken about it a lot with Joe and he’s very supportive. Though he’s also been open in the past about wanting more children, they both know it’s very hard to juggle the demands of a big family and all their work with a new baby.’
Stacey became a mum at the age of 17 with the birth of son Zachary, now 17, in 2008. Leighton, now 12, arrived four years later. Since she got together with Joe in 2016, the TV star has gone on to welcome Rex, five, Rose, three, and Belle, two. Meanwhile, Joe is also dad to son Harry, 18. Just a month after welcoming Belle in February 2023, Stacey was honest about the transition to becoming a mum to a newborn all over again. During an Instagram Q&A, when a follower admitted to struggling with her little one, Stacey shared, ‘I can assure you that 100% of the time I feel absolutely f**ked. You are not alone!’
‘Stacey really suffered with her last pregnancy,’ our insider continues. ‘It left her body a bit of a wreck and she needed a much longer time to recover afterwards. Joe hated to see the pain she went through and how exhausted it left her, and a big part of Stacey worries whether her body would be able to cope with the demands of another pregnancy at this stage of her life and feels she can’t go through it again.
‘She’s had five children and knows she’s been so lucky to have a big family. But it’s hard for Stacey, as she does sometimes feel sad about her older children growing up, moving away and flying the nest. It’s a phase of her life she just finds really tough to adjust to.’
As every parent knows, those growing-up moments can be bittersweet – something Stacey frequently shares with her followers. Sharing a picture of Rex in his uniform ahead of his first day of school, Stacey previously admitted, ‘New level unlocked – big boy school. I can’t even describe how emotional this makes me I can’t believe in just a few days Rexy will be in big school, he’s still my baby. And Leighton is off to seniors omg, send help.’
While her career opportunities grow as she has more time to herself, Stacey has mixed emotions at the thought of no more babies. ‘Every time someone jokes about Stacey having another little one, she laughs – but privately it stirs up all kinds of feelings,’ our source says.
‘Stacey has always pictured a house full of kids and, in many ways, she’s already living that dream each and every day. But there’s always been a part of her that wonders what it would be like to have just one more. Right now, though, that’s not going to be happening.’