Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash have found themselves under scrutiny while candidly sharing their life on their fresh BBC show.
The couple have been giving fans a glimpse behind the curtain of life at Pickle Cottage with Stacey and Joe. The reality series has been a hit, drawing in over three million viewers per episode.
The BBC describes it as full of “loads of love and laughs” and a glimpse into the “beautiful chaos of life at Pickle Cottage”. But as they show viewers what life is like with their brood of five, it has been reported that inclusion of their personal endorsement deals could cause trouble.
The BBCs editorial guidelines have a conflict of interest clause that offers clear instructions.
The rules state: “No on-air talent should promote products, goods, services or clothing they use on air”. This includes anything they’ve “agreed, or been contracted, to promote or in which they have financial interest”.
However, audiences have seen Stacey chat about her homeware collection and a haircare brand she’s backed, reports the Mirror. In the premiere episode, she even mentions an unnamed fashion line while filming for her Instagram.
“I’m going to be trying on my last summer collection,” she reveals. “I have brand partnerships and design different things for those brands. Anything from homeware to clothing lines.”
Joe is seen whipping up a storm in the kitchen for his Instagram followers, presumably showcasing his Lidl range.
He shares with his fans: “We have the social media team come round once a month and we’ll just do all of the cooking content and then we’ll drip feed it on my Instagram through the month.” The series also features a scene where the Loose Women star is captured hosting a launch party for her ASDA homeware line.
However, the BBC issued a rebuke in a statement to the Daily Mail. In response to queries about the brand work featured in the show, a spokesperson stated: “Stacey and Joe is a reality series following the daily lives of the couple which includes their work.
“All commercial relationships featured are made clear to the audience and only included where editorially justified.”
The series, which will consist of six episodes, is unlikely to cover Stacey’s recent heart-wrenching ordeal involving their family dog, Teddy. The pooch recently experienced a medical emergency, leaving the former X Factor contestant tearful as she updated her followers on his condition.
Earlier this month, she shared with her followers that she and her five children were “truly devastated” by the news that Teddy “might not ever fully recover”. Stacey disclosed how their beloved pet “lost the use of his back legs” on Good Friday, causing distress within the family.
She confessed that the animal hadn’t shown any signs of discomfort prior to the frightening incident. Opening up about her pet’s health struggles, she revealed the family dog endured a burst disc and shared the vets’ grim diagnosis.
They told Stacey that Teddy’s spine was “not looking good at all,” with every disc appearing “really worn”.