'Broody' Stacey Solomon would 'love another little girl' as she gears up for fly-on-the-wall reality show
She has been slowly but surely stepping back from various high-profile commitments in recent months, and it seems Stacey Solomon may well have some other plans up her sleeve. The star has been markedly absent from Loose Women, where she was a fan favourite, for some time, since confirming she was taking a break from the ITV chat show last December - only appearing once since then - and Stacey was noticeably missing from the 25th anniversary portrait of the ITV show, honouring its current stars.
The former X Factor contestant is also thought to have stepped away from her hit Channel 4 show Renovation Rescue and announced she was stepping away from her role as brand ambassador for In The Style, a role she’d had since 2021, so she could focus on her family.. Perhaps juggling so many plates in her hugely successful career with such a busy family life proved too much.
And nobody could argue that Stacey has a full house. She shares Rex, five, Rose, three, and one year old Belle with former EastEnders star Joe Swash as well as Leighton, 12, and Zachary, 15, from previous relationships (Joe also has 18-year-old Henry from a past relationship).
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But a source has claimed that there may well be another reason why doting mum Stacey is freeing up her time further, as she and Joe prepare to launch their fly-on-the-wall reality show, Escape To Pickle Cottage - plans for more babies. “Despite all her success, Stacey says being a mum is the best thing that has happened to her and she loves having such a big family, even though it can be hard work," they said. “Belle is turning two soon, and she hates the fact that she’s no longer a baby and she is starting to get broody again. Both her and Joe would love baby number six at some point.”
Certainly, Stacey has opened up before about feeling broody - and at a time when the family are preparing to welcome cameras into their lives, it could be the perfect time for them to have another baby. Back in January, the 34-year-old raised eyebrows when she shared an adorable video of her son Rex, three, helping teach Belle to walk, alongside the comment, ‘Why am I broody? Hope this makes you smile as much as it did me today….’ - leading to fans speculating on whether this was her way of saying baby six was incoming. In May, the star revealed her ‘dream’ was to eventually quit TV work entirely to spend time with her five children, explaining that she only wanted to take on work that she could do from home.
Our source adds that, especially with her eldest Zach now 16, she is painfully aware of how fast time passes. “She is only taking on things that work for her as a mum now. Zach is now doing an apprenticeship - so she knows how quickly time goes and she just wants to be with her children as much as she can while they’re little.” With the new reality show, the source maintains, a pregnancy and a new baby would align perfectly. “She could continue to film while pregnant and then the new baby would fit right in with the show and viewers would love it.”
There have been many light-hearted jokes and comments between the pair about extending their family. Taking to Instagram in July, for instance, Stacey posted pics of some Sunday shenanigans, saying: "Happy Sunday, lots of love from all of us. Joe's cleaning the pool and the kids this morning [laughing face emoji]." She accompanied a video of Joe playfully chasing the kids around their impressive patio with a pool cleaner with the cheeky caption: "A great attempt at trying to get me pregnant again," followed by laughing emojis.
According to our source, Joe - whose mum was a foster carer - would love to foster, while Stacey, they claim, feels she’s not ready for that - and doesn’t feel they’re finished with their own biological family yet. And pals of the couple, they say, are expecting a big announcement in 2025.
“Friends are already predicting that Stacey announces a new baby next year, and she would love another little girl so she has three of each - the girls would all be so close growing up”, they said. “She also loves seeing how great Joe is as a girl dad. It brings tears to her eyes when he plays fairies and dolls and princesses with them and she wants more of that.”
If down-to-earth Stacey and Joe, who have navigated the ups and downs of family life so far, truly are considering welcoming another little one into the fold, it would be a wonderful addition to what we have already seen is a loving and caring family. And following Stacey's motherhood journey would only add to what is already set to be an exciting glimpse behind closed doors, of their lives at Pickle Cottage.
