From the outside, Stacey Solomon seems to have a marriage as strong as Teflon, but the star has confided that her relationship has its ups and downs just like everyone else’s. The Stacey & Joe star swears by an unconventional bedroom habit that ensures no love is lost between her and her husband of three years, Joe Swash.
In a new interview with Good Housekeeping UK, the mum-of-five revealed the rumour that they sleep in separate beds is true. "I’m often in bed by 9pm while he’s up till 1am," she says. "Who cares? Marriage is just a construct and I’ll interpret it in a way that suits me and my family, thank you very much."
Stacey, 36, continued: "[Joe and I] got together because we like each other. We have the same morals and values, so even if we do have a couple of months of, ‘F***king hell, I can’t even look at you right now,’ we’ll eventually remember why we got together in the first place."
She insisted that the idea of the perfect marriage is a myth. "How can you not fall out with your husband? That’s a pipe dream!" The couple met in 2010 when she won I’m A Celebrity and Joe, 43, was hosting the spin-off show, and the couple went on to walk down the aisle in 2022.
Another godsend for family harmony is the extra support they receive. "We don’t have a house full of staff, although we do have help," shared Stacey. "My mum will put a wash on; Dad looks after the kids." They also have extra support with the garden.
Stacey has two sons, Zachary, 17, and Leighton, 13, from two previous relationships. She also shares three children - son Rex, six, daughter Rose, four, and two-year-old daughter Belle - with the presenter. "Joe and I argue all the time over the stuff that’s got to be done. I feel like we’re in that era: five kids, three of whom are young, so everything’s a kerfuffle," she added.
The Sort Your Life Out host likewise opened up about navigating her way through periods of self-doubt. "It’s a f***ing struggle being a strong woman, a woman with a career," she said. "You can get to the top of your game as a woman in this industry and still be paid less than a man. Making it in this industry is a f***ing triumph. Forgive my swears. But it should be celebrated."
Stacey added: "It’s hard to accept that you can’t control everything, especially when you’re ambitious and you feel like a powerful woman most of the time. It can be really daunting when something is out of your control. I think I’ll always have moments of anxiety, but [now] I’m much better at being able to feel in control."
The full interview can be read now in the January issue of Good Housekeeping UK