As the Loose Women stars celebrated their 25th anniversary recently, one famous panellist was noticeably missing – leaving Stacey Solomon having to shut down rumours of a ‘snub’.
Stacey, 34, was once a regular panellist on the ITV daytime show, but since welcoming daughter Belle, one, last year, she’s made only fleeting appearances.
And after Loose Women marked its anniversary with a dazzling portrait of 18 of the show’s panellists, it seems Stacey might not be getting back to her regular seat anytime soon.
While the group photo – which was posted to the official Loose Women Insta – included the likes of Christine Lampard, Frankie Bridge, and Olivia Attwood, it didn’t take fans long to spot that Stacey hadn’t made an appearance. A huge amount of comments under the post asked, ‘Where’s Stacey?’, with one fan commenting, ‘Guess she wasn’t asked’.
Now, with rumours circulating that the Sort Your Life Out star was ‘snubbed’, a source tells heat that she is desperate to clear things up. ‘Stacey would have loved to have been a part of the photo, but it just didn’t work with her schedule – and all the drama of supposedly being snubbed has left her rolling her eyes,’ we’re told.
‘Why is it her who was singled out? She wasn’t the only panellist who couldn’t make it. Some fans have taken her not being involved as a sign that she thinks she’s too good for the show, or that she doesn’t get on with the other women, which is all untrue. She thinks it’s unfair how people try to pit her against her co-stars, especially when she’s been nothing but lovely to them. She’s not sure how much she’ll be involved in the show’s future, as she has so much going on right now.’
The supposed snub comes weeks after Stacey revealed she had parted ways with clothing brand In The Style, writing, ‘I’ve thought a lot about work/family balance and things that have needed to be prioritised. I’ve decided to say goodbye to In The Style and other things, so I can give more of myself back to my family.’ And it appears these ‘other things’ may well include her place on Loose Women.
Our source says, ‘Stacey is so grateful to be part of that show, but she doesn’t want to be the face of it. She often gets in trouble for oversharing, and she has periods where she just is too exhausted to be discussing the heavy topics they feature . Producers try to get Stacey on when they know she’ll be comfortable talking about certain things, or when they have a guest who she’ll gel with.’
Earlier this year, Stacey’s co-star Linda Robson, 66, confirmed that the former X Factor contestant was ‘too busy’ to return to the panel, explaining, ‘She’s a really good Loose Woman – she’s really honest. But I think she’s got too much on.’ But while Stacey was popular with many of her fellow panellists, she didn’t gel with everyone. During the summer, the star had a heated exchange with Denise Welch, 66.
Denise later made barbed comment about ‘younger’ panellists, saying, ‘I’ve always been sceptical when younger people come in, because sometimes they may have a great life story, but they’re either not prepared to talk about it yet or are too worried about what the public are going to say.’
Now, our source says Stacey wants to be known for more than Loose Women. ‘Stacey does her best to rise above any drama. She’s been really classy and professional about it, holding her head high. She’ll appear on the show in the future – but she just doesn’t want to be on it all the time,’ we’re told.
‘She’s got so many projects coming up and she’s very protective of her brand. Stacey likes to be known more for her reputation as a DIY goddess, and for all her home renovation skills.’