The stresses of daily life are all too real for Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash, as they try to juggle parenting six kids and looking after their Pickle Cottage pets with TV work, ad deals and more. So, it’s understandable that the couple, who celebrate their third wedding anniversary in July, are looking to take a breather and spend some child-free time together with a secret holiday.
But as Stacey begins planning their lavish sunshine break, a source tells heat that the Sort Your Life Out presenter, 35, is already feeling worried, having been on the receiving end of criticism for her getaways in the past.
‘Stacey is desperate for them to have some alone time together this year, but she is already feeling incredibly torn,’ we’re told. ‘It’s all been quite hush-hush so far. Stacey is terrified because she knows there will be backlash. She knows that so many parents aren’t able to go on a couples’ holiday, but everyone around her feels she and Joe really deserve this and are pushing her to go ahead with it.’
The insider adds that the pair – who have Rex, five, Rose, three, and Belle, two, as well as Stacey’s sons Zachary, 16, and Leighton, 12, and Joe’s son Harry, 17 – are looking forward to getting away from it all.
‘Both Stacey and Joe agree that it feels like forever since they have had some uninterrupted alone time. They have both been fantasising about romantic candlelit dinners on the beach or lounging in a private pool,’ the source says. ‘They both work very hard, and Stacey feels it’s really important to keep the spark alive in their marriage. But she can’t help but fret about what people will say and whether it will turn fans off from her.’
Last month, Stacey and Joe, 43, enjoyed a family ski trip to Switzerland, with an unexpected detour in Paris for 14 February. But many fans accused her of faking her mistake and questioned whether she may have altered the timings for the sake of some Valentine’s Day content. Stacey was also criticised following a luxury girls’ trip to Vegas to see Adele perform last year, which was gifted by beauty brand Space NK.
A source previously told heat, ‘Stacey knew people would have an opinion about her getting to drop everything at home, leave Joe and the kids, and fly first class to meet Adele, and – to top it all off – having that whole experience for free.’
And last August, after Stacey and Joe were ‘holiday-shamed’ over their £30k trip to Turkey, Stacey said on Instagram, ‘If me sharing our holiday doesn’t make you feel good, then unfollow or just mute me or something. I love coming on here and sharing things so much and I love our community on here. All I ever want is to take you on the adventure with us and hopefully make you smile along the way.’
Despite the potential backlash, our source says Stacey is intent on having her romantic time away with Joe, having last enjoyed a child-free break while at a wedding in Austria in June 2023. ‘She’s planning the logistics of it, and having family move into Pickle Cottage to look after the kids and make sure they’re all feeling safe and loved while she and Joe sneak out for a week of sunshine,’ we’re told.
‘At the end of the day, Stacey knows that her own personal brand is her livelihood and she has to take it seriously. Of course, it’s not going to be a good look if she is constantly globetrotting without the kids when she’s trying to appear relatable, but this is just one trip. Everyone around her is saying to just go for it. This holiday could make the world of difference for her and Joe as a couple and keep them strong in the long run.’