Stacey Solomon, the beloved TV personality who first captured hearts on The X Factor 16 years ago, is set to grace our screens once more with the return of her show ‘Sort Your Life Out’.
The programme, which helps families declutter and organise their homes, airs tonight, Tuesday, February 11, at 8pm on One and iPlayer.
As Stacey steps back into the spotlight, fans are eager to delve deeper into the life of the presenter.
Anxiety
Born in October 1989 in Dagenham, Essex, Stacey’s early life was shaped by her parents, David Solomon, a photographer, and Fiona Nash, a nurse, as well as her siblings Matthew and Jemma.
Stacey has openly discussed her struggles with severe anxiety from a young age, revealing that she would spend hours each day consumed by fears of mortality.
In her candid column for The Sun, Stacey recounted her battle with anxiety, stating: “I remember being scared of dying at a very young age, maybe even five or six. I had no traumatic childhood experiences.
“There’s not a point in my childhood where my mortality was questioned, but the fear was always there.”
Through the support of therapy and her GP, Stacey learned to manage her anxiety, identifying triggers and strategies to combat overwhelming thoughts.
She elaborated: “Before bed I try and read the most brain-hurty, intelligent book I can.
“One that’s so hard to read no other thoughts can creep into my mind. After 10 pages I’m usually exhausted and fall asleep.”
Inside Stacey Solomon’s life from childhood anxiety and teenage pregnancy ‘shame’ to ‘nearly breaking up’ with Joe Swash (Image: BBC)
Stacey Solomon shot to fame when she auditioned for The X Factor in 2009. (Image: ITV)
Teen pregnancy
Stacey Solomon opened up about the struggles she faced as a young mother, after getting pregnant at just 17 with her first son Zachary.
She shares Zachary with her ex-partner Dean Cox with the couple splitting before the birth.
Speaking candidly on Loose Women, Stacey admitted: “I just remember feeling so ashamed.
“I know that sounds awful but when I was pregnant with Zach, all I felt the whole way through was shame.”
“I looked like a baby as well. I looked about six. I think people just looked and were like, ‘Ugh, why is she pregnant?’ Maybe it’s a bit of trauma I just haven’t addressed.”
The X Factor
The TV personality shot to fame in 2009 after her memorable audition on The X Factor, where she impressed judges including Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh, ultimately finishing in third place.
However, her life-changing audition very nearly didn’t happen.
Recalling what happened, Stacey said: “I don’t know if it was one in the morning or whenever it was, it was really late at night, I was the last person to be seen and the judges were so tired, they had seen thousands of people all day.
“I think what they were saying was that they wanted to end the night, that was it and go home and London was done.
“But one of the producers really pushed for them to see me and just wait to see me which changed my life.”
Stacey Solomon has been married to actor and presenter Joe Swash since 2022. (Image: GETTY)
Joe Swash
After her rise to fame, Stacey went on to have another son, Leighton, with her former fiancé Aaron Barham, though their relationship ended in 2014.
She then went on to meet and marry former star and presenter Joe Swash who she now shares three children with.
Stacey Solomon hilariously recounted the near-miss of her engagement to Joe on ‘s Would I Lie To You, revealing: “I nearly broke up with my husband while he was trying to propose to me.”
She detailed the mishap that occurred during the 2020 lockdown, saying: “It was that special time of year, but we were all confined to our homes due to the restrictions.
“Every day, we would take a long walk through the nearby woods to escape the daily grind and find a bit of normalcy.
“This one Christmas Eve day while I was in the thick of being really busy. He wanted to go for a wood walk, and I asked if this could wait.
‘It’s Christmas Eve, but anyway, we went on a walk, and all these flowers were laid out.
“So I said, ‘I think someone has passed’. He said, ‘Let’s go and have a look’. I said, ‘What the hell is wrong with you? I’m not walking through that’.
“I said, ‘I don’t know if I can be with a person like you who gets off on someone else’s misfortune. I was expecting a shrine, but Joe had put the flowers out to propose to me.”
Sort Your Life Out With Stacey Solomon season five premieres on Tuesday, February 11, at 8pm on One and iPlayer.