She appeared to have a picture-perfect life at Pickle Cottage. But Stacey Solomon has shown fans the reality of what really goes on behind closed doors with husband Joe Swash in their recent fly-on-the-wall show, which showed them having a number of serious rows.
Now, a source tells heat that Stacey is panicking that she may have shared too much about the issues in their marriage.
‘Things have been tense, as the reality of airing their dirty laundry on television starts to hit home,’ an insider tells heat.
‘To make matters worse, some of the criticism of the show has been really savage, with Joe, in particular, being given a massive bashing for his behaviour. Stacey feels likes it’s OK for her to be upset about things like him not pulling his weight around the house, but she hates that some critics have chosen to air their opinions in their reviews. But what’s been the most upsetting is the fact that everyone now knows the intimate details of the biggest issues in their relationship.’
Since the BBC show Stacey & Joe began last month, viewers have seen the couple’s explosive arguments play out on screen – with some fans questioning if the fiery pair could even end up splitting. In one episode, Joe, 43, returned home from a fishing trip five hours late, meaning Stacey, 35, had to take their young children to a work meeting, while another saw them clashing over him allowing the kids to eat baked beans on the sofa.
And last week’s episode saw the couple – who share children Rex, five, Rose, three, and Belle, two, while Stacey is also mum to sons Zachary, 17, and Leighton, 12, and Joe is dad to son Harry, 17, from previous relationships – arguing during couples’ therapy, where Joe said he felt like he was ‘a huge problem in Stacey’s perfect life’ due to his ADHD. It can make it hard for those affected to concentrate and be organised, as well as follow instructions and complete tasks.
It was following this therapy session that the couple were photographed having a heated row last November, with our source saying Stacey is worried that the scenes now airing may cause more tension for the couple, rather than raising awareness of the disorder in the way that she had hoped.
We’re told, ‘Stacey and Joe want to get to a strong place in their marriage again, which is why they have been doing couples’ therapy, but they’ve got a way to go yet – it’s not been easy. Stacey was worried about the reaction to showing it, but she’s hoping that the trolls give her a break and that people will be a bit kinder online. Joe’s ADHD is not easy to live with, but Stacey has her issues, too. She’s hoping that it can raise awareness about how the condition can affect couples. Stacey is desperately trying to see the positive side of sharing so much and being so vulnerable, but it’s hard when she reads the some of the criticism and nasty comments.’
They continue, ‘ADHD is one of the most common disorders around these days and there have been some positive responses that Stacey has found encouraging, but it’s very easy to slip into focusing on the negative and start giving herself a hard time.’
On top of their relationship woes, Stacey and Joe have also recently been rocked by the sudden illness of their dog Teddy, due to a condition the family were not aware of. In an emotional social media post, the Sort Your Life Out presenter said their pup ‘may not fully recover’ from the condition. And our insider says the bad timing of the criticism amid their pet’s illness has left Stacey and Joe ‘reeling’.
We’re told, ‘Everything seems to happening at once. There are times when it feels like Stacey’s perfect life is crumbling. Her friends have been trying to console her – they think she is so brave for putting it all out there.’