Joe Swash has come under fire after the debut episode of his and Stacey Solomon’s new reality series on the BBC. The cameras rolled into Stacey And Joe’s grand pad, dubbed Pickle Cottage, offering fans a sneak peek of their life behind closed doors.
Despite appearances suggesting they’re the ultimate power couple, the show revealed tensions as they bickered at home.
In one scene from the programme, Stacey, 35, can be spotted reminding 43-year-old Joe about an all-important business meeting scheduled for 10am the next day concerning a perfume launch while he’s out fishing.
“I’m going to try and get home for 10,” he assures her. Stacey, clearly annoyed, fires back: “What do you mean try? Otherwise, I’ve got to change the meeting.”
She presses further, puzzled: “Why is ‘try my hardest’ even part of that sentence?” as Joe vows to make it back promptly. Yet the friction doesn’t end theredespite his absence, he claims he’ll make it if Stacey rouses him, which sparks the reveal of deeper issues, reports the Mirror.
Multitasker Stacey admits she’s too swamped managing the house, prepping the kids for school, and planning for her meeting to consider waking him. With vexation, she confides to the camera: “He’s not coming back at 10, is he?”
Fans were gobsmacked to see Joe roll in a whopping five hours overdue, leaving Stacey to balance her busy perfume launch prep along with caring for their little ones.
The celeb couple dote on Rex, aged five, three-year-old Rose, and Belle, who’s two, while Stacey also has her hands full with sons Zachary, 17, and Leighton, 12, from previous relationships. Joe brings Harry, born in 2007, into the blended family mix.
A clearly vexed Stacey couldn’t hide her frustration as she explained: “Joe was supposed to come home for this meeting, but he’s been delayed, indefinitely it seems,” excusing herself to the scent squad due to her children’s interludes.
Pouring out her irritation to the camera, Stacey said with growing irritation: “Sometimes, I don’t think Joe realises the repercussions, sometimes it’s all a laugh or a joke, but that meeting is really important to me. We know our diaries are only going to get busier and busier and at the first meeting before all that happens, you’re not there.”
When Joe finally got back, he blamed a road mishap for his lateness, which had caused him to be 20 minutes late, but Stacey set the record straight, announcing that it had actually been a full five hours.
Social media was up in arms over the scenes, with one viewer saying: “Gosh Joe Swash is not coming across well! He really takes @StaceySolomon for granted!”
Another chimed in, somewhat more sympathetically: “It’s impossible to dislike Joe Swash. But his utterly chaotic approach to looking after five kids turns this reality show into a nightmarishly stressful watch.”
“Stacey needs a medal to live with Joe,” exclaimed one viewer. Another wrote: “Stacey Solomon is a better person than me. I’d have lost my mind about 50 times at Joe by now #staceyandjoe.”
Other TV viewers were loving the new show however, with many praising both Stacey and Joe on social media. One person said: “#staceyandjoe Absolutely love these guys, such a lovely family. I was cracking up at their holiday antics. Well worth a watch,” and another added: “Stacey and Joe is the realest parenting ‘day in the life’ show I’ve ever seen. I’m already obsessed and there’s only one episode.”