There’s an important reason Stacey Solomon never talks about her eldest sons’ dads as she documents her blended family in her new reality show with Joe Swash. 

The former X Factor contestant, 35, and the ex-EastEnders actor, 43, are proud parents to a blended family of six children.

The couple share Rex, five, Rose, three, and Belle, two, while Stacey is mum to sons Zachary, 17, and Leighton, 12, from two previous relationships, and Joe also has a son Harry, 17, with his ex-partner.

The pair, both now TV personalities, became friends on I’m A Celeb in 2010, which Stacey won, while Joe was presenting spin-off show Extra Camp, after becoming 2008’s King of the Jungle.

They announced they were officially dating in 2016, moved in together in 2018 and bought a house in 2021, all while blending their families – before tying the knot at home in July 2022. 

Stacey, who loves to post about her home life online, has previously revealed why she never talks about her eldest sons’ fathers as the family start to share even more, via their reality show Stacey & Joe: This Is Us.

The former X Factor contestant, 35, and the ex-EastEnders actor, 43, are proud parents to a blended family of six children (pictured ahead of their new reality show)

The couple share Rex, five, Rose, three, and Belle, two, while Stacey is mum to sons Zachary (pictured), 17, and Leighton, 12, from two previous relationships, and Joe also has a son Harry, 17, with his ex-partner

They announced they were officially dating in 2016, moved in together in 2018 and bought a house in 2021, all while blending their families (pictured in 2023) – before tying the knot at home in July 2022

The six-part show, which started airing weekly on April 1, has seen the couple let cameras into their idyllic EsSєx home Pickle Cottage to bare the ‘highs and lows’ of their relationship. 

But fans have noticed Stacey always says little about Zachary and Leighton’s fathers, apart from mentioning the boys are ‘with their dad this weekend’ or ‘this holiday’. 

She was just 18 when she had her first child Zachary in 2007, with her boyfriend at the time and childhood sweetheart, Dean Cox. 

The presenter then welcomed her second son Leighton in 2012, with then-fiance, painter Aaron Barham, who she split from in 2014.

The EsSєx-born star, now a Loose Women panellist and thrifty host of tidying show Sort Your Life Out, explained why when asked by You magazine a few years ago. 

‘I don’t speak much about their dads because I don’t think it’s right for [the children] to read it’, she said. 

Boasting more than six million Instagram followers, she has also previously mentioned asking her older children before sharing anything about them online. 

Stacey has always said they should have a say in what information is out there about them in the public domain. 

The six-part show (pictured), which started airing weekly on April 1, has seen the couple let cameras into their idyllic EsSєx home Pickle Cottage to bare the ‘highs and lows’ of their relationship 

She was just 18 when she had her first child Zachary (second left) in 2007, with her boyfriend at the time and childhood sweetheart, Dean Cox

The presenter then welcomed her second son Leighton (second left) in 2012, with then-fiance, painter Aaron Barham, who she split from in 2014

Her husband Joe appears to feel the same way, not speaking publicly about the mother of his eldest son Harry either, ex-fiancee Emma Sophocleous, who the boy lives with instead of at Pickle Cottage. 

He respects his ex-partner’s wish that pH๏τos of Harry are not shared to social media. 

It comes as fans questioned why the teen did not make an appearance on Stacey and Joe’s reality show and was not mentioned in the programme. 

Some took to social media to share their confusion, with one fan posting on X: ‘Family of five? What about mentioning Joe’s son Harry?’

Another said: ‘Joe saying “five kids” in the intro bit, totally forgetting he has a son of his own.’

Joe and ex-partner Emma split when Harry was young and the former soap star reportedly entered a custody battle over the boy, which prevented him from regularly seeing his son until it was resolved.

Joe now has joint custody of his son but he is mostly kept out of the limelight.

Stacey has previously addressed why she did not share pH๏τographs of Harry, after he was not included in their Solomon-Swash family Christmas snap in 2019.

Boasting more than six million Instagram followers, Stacey has previously mentioned asking her older children before sharing anything about them online. Pictured: Her reality show with Joe 

Stacey has always said they should have a say in what information is out there about them in the public domain. Pictured: Her reality show with Joe

Stacey has previously addressed why she did not share pH๏τographs of Harry, after he was not included in their Solomon-Swash family Christmas snap in 2019 (pictured)

Taking to her Instagram Stories at the time (pictured), she said: ‘I’ve got loads of comments from people asking about all of our children, and why they are not in my pH๏τos’

The picture showed Stacey and Joe with baby Rex, and her two other sons Leighton and Zachary – but Joe’s son Harry was nowhere to be seen.

Taking to her Instagram Stories at the time, she said: ‘I’ve got loads of comments from people asking about all of our children, and why they are not in my pH๏τos.

‘And unfortunately it is not something that I am able to do otherwise I would do it all the time.

‘All the kids are a mᴀssive part of our lives and we love them all equally, and adore them, and behind the scenes we are very much on every stocking, in every book and in every pH๏τo.

‘But publicly that is not something that I can do and I totally respect that. We respect everyone’s wishes and we are a blended family and sometimes that is a bit more complicated than it seems.

‘I don’t know if that is the best way to explain it but I just thought because so many people are asking.’

Meanwhile, Stacey and Joe’s new show has faced some criticism from viewers who have taken to social media to share their verdicts.

One posted on X: ‘Just looked on BBC One and there’s a “reality” show called Stacey & Joe. Why are people so obsessed with watching utter crap like this?’

In a bid to bare the ‘highs and lows’ of their relationship, the couple’s new six-part programme (pictured) тιтled Stacey & Joe premiered last month 

Stacey and Joe opened the doors of their beloved home, Pickle Cottage, for cameras to film a ‘Kardashians’ style TV show (pictured) focussed on their family life

The BBC series has faced criticism from some viewers, who took to social media (pictured) to share their verdicts – while some have been more positive 

Another commented: ‘Stacey & Joe. F*** sake @BBCOne stop wasting our licence fee.’

While someone else penned: ‘Why on earth are @BBCOne commissioning this absolute trash. What a colossal waste of public money.’

A fourth said: ‘Firstly, I love Sort Your Life Out and I like Stacey Solomon. Joe Swash hmm. I wasn’t going to watch #staceyandjoe, but I gave it a try. No, no, and absolutely no.

‘Seeing Swash spreading ʙuттer on toast with a spoon was more than I could bear. Switched off.’

But some viewers seemed to enjoy the show, with one saying: ‘Absolutely loved Stacey & Joe, our new EsSєx Kardashians!!! Loved every min!’

Someone else chimed in: ‘Everything about Stacey & Joe is just making me smile. They seem like the loveliest family.’

While another added: ‘Absolutely loving Stacey & Joe… Pickle Cottage is beautiful, bet all the seasons are gorgeous.’

Stacey & Joe: This Is Us airs on BBC One and is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.