Stacey Solomon has sparked fresh speculation about the state of her marriage to Joe Swash after noticeably omitting him from a gushing birthday tribute to her eldest son Zachary, who turned 18 over the weekend.
Birthday Celebration Without Joe
The mother-of-five declared she was heading out partying with Zachary as she shared a trio of sweet snaps with him on Instagram. Stacey captioned her post: 'Today is all about you Zachary. 18 wonderful years of you. We are SO lucky. Now let's go OUT out @zachsolomon08.'
Despite the celebratory tone, the complete absence of any mention of husband Joe Swash in the birthday tribute has raised eyebrows among fans and commentators alike. This omission comes at a time when rumours about strain in their marriage have been circulating widely.
This Morning Appearance Fuels Speculation
During an appearance on This Morning this week, host Ben Shephard directly addressed the marriage rumours with Stacey. The 51-year-old presenter referenced Joe's 'lovely' Mother's Day tribute to her on social media – only for Stacey to admit she hadn't even seen it.
Ben then brought up how Stacey has recently been seen without her wedding ring, asking: 'You've not been wearing your ring. There might be some issues going on?'
Stacey responded with characteristic humour: 'Do you know what, I am terrible. I don't read any of that stuff. In fact, does anyone anymore? But yeah, we just... Have I not been wearing my ring? Probably took it off to go to the toilet, or something.'
Joking About Marriage Troubles
When Ben mentioned Joe's lake project coming to fruition, Stacey quipped: 'Maybe I dropped my ring in the lake... with our marriage!' While delivered as a joke, the comment has added fuel to existing speculation about their relationship.
Background of Their Relationship
The couple first met back in 2010 on the set of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! However, Stacey and Joe didn't start dating until 2016 and moved in together two years later. They got engaged in 2020 and tied the knot two years later in 2022.
Stacey has five children from various relationships. She had her eldest son Zachary with her then-boyfriend Dean Cox when she was just 17, and also shares son Leighton, 13, with ex Aaron Barnham. With Joe, she has three children: Rex, six, Rose, four, and Belle, two. Joe is also dad to Harry from a previous relationship.
Previous Signs of Strain
The first time fans began to speculate that the couple could be experiencing difficulties came when they were seen arguing on the most recent series of their show Stacey & Joe. The pair clashed as dad Joe unexplainably 'disappeared' for the day in one episode, and Stacey hung up on Joe after he branded her 'out of order' and slammed her for 'overreacting' in a heated parenting row.
However, both have been open about their commitment to showing real relationships on television. Joe previously said: 'So many people represent their lives as being so perfect on Instagram. It's our responsibility to show the real - the highs and the lows. It's not all a bed of roses. Sometimes we argue.'
Stacey added: 'What you see is what you get. What we've learnt about each other is that we're not a perfect couple. We've never said we're a perfect couple, but you get to watch yourself back, which is something that doesn't happen often.'
Ongoing Public Scrutiny
The Daily Mail's Olivia Kemp has reported that their once-seamless public image is beginning to show signs of strain. Stacey's decision to focus solely on her son during his milestone birthday celebration – without any mention of her husband – has only intensified public curiosity about the true state of their marriage.
As the couple navigate both parenting challenges and public scrutiny, fans will be watching closely for any further developments in their relationship. The absence of Joe from such a significant family celebration has certainly added another layer to the ongoing speculation about their marriage.
