Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash’s fly-on-the-wall documentary series aired on BBC last night for its second series. The 35-year-old has appeared on our screens regularly through the years after she shot to fame on The X Factor in 2009.
The TV star is married to former EastEnders actor Joe Swash, 43, and the couple share son Rex, five, and daughters Rose, three, and Belle, two. Stacey also has older sons Zachary, 17, with former partner Dean Cox, and Leighton, 12, with ex-fiancé Aaron Barham.
The programme called “Stacey & Joe” follows the lives of the couple and their family as they document the highs and lows of life. In the opening series, viewers watched across six episodes as moments from the life of Stacey and Joe were shown to millions. Special moments included Stacey winning an NTA and the couple navigating Joe’s ADHD diagnosis and their son receiving his GCSE results.
The first episode of the second series was on our screens last night. Viewers watched as Stacey talked about her health struggles; she admitted she had been feeling unusually irritable and exhausted despite getting eight hours of sleep and was worried it could be indicators of perimenopause.
Speaking on the BBC show, Stacey told her sister Jemma: “I think I’m going through the menopause, I’m perimenopausal, I’m so snappy and tired. I wake up tired, I have eight hours’ sleep and I wake up and I’m exhausted.”
She added: “If you could test tolerance, mine would be at its all-time low. If I am going through the menopause and that’s it, no more children for me, then I think I will open an animal sanctuary.”
Stacey’s sister reminded her that she leads a busy lifestyle. Stacey lives at Pickle Cottage with her family but also has animals, including dogs and ducks. She presents her own TV show, ITV’s Sort Your Life Out and appears as a regular panellist on Loose Women.
The Loose Women star sought advice from her physiologist, Dr Olly, with husband Joe Swash to keep her company. She told him: “I feel like I’m drying out. I think my ovaries are pruned and they have said goodbye.
“All my friends on Loose Women talk about it all the time. Some things I can’t relate to. But I do think that as I get older, I do get more agitated.”
Stacey also spoke about her health concerns since becoming a mum. She said: “My health anxiety started when I had Zach. I think when you have kids, you start to recognise your own mortality. Meeting Olly and having that friend that can go down the rabbit hole with you has really helped.”
According to BUPA: “The perimenopause is a natural stage of life. In most people it will happen naturally between the ages of 45 and 55 and last for a few months to several years. It can even last a decade or more.
“During the perimenopause, your hormone levels change and your ovaries start to produce fewer eggs. Once you haven’t had a period for 12 months or more, you’ve officially reached the menopause.”
Stacey is preparing for the National Television Awards that take place tonight, September 10. The Sort Your Life Out presenter is up for two NTA awards.
The mum-of-five is up for the Best Presenter award for BBC’s Sort Your Life Out and is also nominated for the Factual Entertainment category for her fly-on-the-wall reality show with husband Joe Swash.
Last year, the Loose Women host was left speechless after she won the first award of the evening at the National Television Awards. Sort Your Life Out beat other programmes to clinch victory, including Gogglebox and Clarkson’s Farm.