You only need to look at Stacey Solomon’s Instagram to know that family is everything to her. But following a hectic 2024 – and with 2025 set to be even busier – Stacey has come to realise that the strong, female support network that she has can provide her with some much-deserved respite.
After inviting her close pals, including sister Jemma and author Laura Gallagher, to join her on a trip to Las Vegas to see Adele – a freebie from beauty brand Space NK – last month, Stacey, 35, told her social media followers that the getaway ‘fed her soul’. And now, an insider tells heat that the mum of five is now keen to take more time for herself.
‘Stacey enjoyed the Vegas trip so much, she’s now considering a spring mini-break with just her and the girls,’ says a source. ‘It made her realise that she wants to see more of the world and actually experience things without having to constantly run round after the kids. She feels guilty, but she also works incredibly hard and doesn’t see the point of not trying to live life to the fullest.’
And amid recent reports of tension between her and husband of two years Joe Swash, 42 – who is currently starring in panto Beauty And The Beast in Dunstable – after reports of a public row, our source adds that Stacey believes spending a little more time apart will strengthen their relationship.
With Joe away doing panto, it gives her some much-needed me-time,’ we’re told. ‘She feels guilty admitting it, but she does believe absence makes the heart grow fonder and that it’s healthy for couples to spend time apart, miss each other, and then come back together. Stacey is all for Joe taking more jobs away from home and she’s hoping that, in return, she can also go off and do her own thing occasionally when he’s back.’
The source continues, ‘Stacey’s friends are all for it, too, especially if it means they get to go on more fun girls’ trips, but they do have some concerns. They’ve told Stacey that it shouldn’t get to the point where she and Joe are leading completely separate lives. They’ve told her to be careful what she wishes for, especially if they’re both encouraging each other to spend time apart. But Stacey isn’t worried. She trusts Joe and she knows that she feels better mentally when she’s had some alone time.’
But while we’re told the couple – who share Rex, five, Rose, three, and Belle, one, as well Stacey’s two sons Zachary, 16, and Leighton, 12 and Joe’s son Harry, 17, from previous relationships – feel that this is the right decision for them, Stacey is concerned about the potential backlash, especially after some fans branded her Vegas getaway ‘a bad PR move’ to distract from the public row. Our insider says, ‘The only thing she’s worried about is what the trolls might say and how that might affect her brand. She knows most couples don’t have the luxury of being able to organise childcare and change their schedules at a moment’s notice to going off on spontaneous solo vacations – and Stacey doesn’t want to rub people’s faces it in. She also doesn’t want it to look like they’re not a happy couple because they are – she’s hit back at claims they’ve been arguing and rowing because it really isn’t the case. They’re genuinely so happy together, but she’s tired of being judged if she doesn’t always appear to be some sort of perfect wife.’
The insider continues, ‘At the end of the day, Stacey wants to keep her personal brand healthy. She also wants to show that you can have it all – as long as there is a healthy balance of both family time, and also being able to go off and follow your own path every now and then.’