Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe's Parenting Hell - S05 EP20: Stacey Solomon

Episode Date: September 30, 2022

Joining us this episode to discuss the highs and lows of parenting (and life) is the brilliant singer, presenter, and author - Stacey Solomon. Stacey's new book ‘Tap to Tidy at Pickle Cottage' is out now. Thanks, Rob + Josh. BIG NEWS.... we're writing a book!  ⭐ All the stories we can’t tell on the podcast – in depth. ⭐ What it’s like to raise a stiff neck and a loose neck – straight from the horse’s mouth (our parents) ⭐ And.. the BIGGEST REQUEST WE’VE EVER HAD FOR THE PODCAST… Hearing from our wives, Rose & Lou. They’ve got a chapter each and YOU can submit your burning questions to them...   [e-mail] What's it really like to be a parent? And how come no one ever warned Rob or Josh of the sheer mind-bending, world-altering, sleep-depriving, sick-covering, tear-inducing, snot-wiping, bore-inspiring, 4am-relationship-straining brutality of it all? And if they did, why can't they remember it (or remember anything else, for that matter)? And just when they thought it couldn't get any harder, why didn't anyone warn them about the slices of unmatched euphoric joy and pride that occasionally come piercing through, drenching you in unbridled happiness in much the same way a badly burped baby drenches you in milk-sick? Join Josh and Rob as they share the challenges and madness of their parenting journeys with lashings of empathy and extra helpings of laughs. Filled with all the things they never tell you at antenatal classes, Parenting Hell is a beguiling mixture of humour, rumination and conversation for prospective parents, new parents, old parents and never-to-be parents alike. Find out everything you need to know, including how you could win a pair of tickets to the Parenting Hell LIVE tour & an overnight stay in London here:  https://www.bit.ly/ParentingHellBook We're going on tour!! Fancy seeing the podcast live in some of the best venues in the UK? Of course you do, you're not made of stone! Tickets available now on the dates and at the venues below. We can't wait to see you there... ON SALE NOW  14th April 2023 - Manchester AO Arena 19th April 2023 - Nottingham 20th April 2023 - Cardiff  21st April 2023 - London (The O2) 23rd April 2023 - London (Wembley) 28th April 2023 - Birmingham Utilita Arena  If you want to get in touch with the show here's how: EMAIL: [e-mail] TWITTER: @parenting_hell INSTAGRAM: @parentinghell A 'Keep It Light Media' Production  Sales, advertising, and general enquiries: [e-mail] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello, I'm Rob Beckett. And I'm Josh Willicombe. Welcome to Parenting Hell, the show in which Josh and I discuss what it's really like to be a parent, which I would say can be a little tricky. So, to make ourselves, and hopefully you, feel better about the trials and tribulations of modern day parenting, each week we'll be chatting to a famous parent about how they're coping. Or hopefully how they're not coping. And we'll also be hearing from you, the listener, with your tips, advice and, of course, tales of parenting woe.

Because, let's be honest, there are plenty of times when none of us know what we're doing. Hello, you're listening to Parenting Hell with... Can you say Rob Beckett and Josh Whittakin? That's exactly correct. It wasn't exactly correct, let's be honest. I think the answer to that was no. Yeah, well, this is Sebastian who's five months today. Correct. It wasn't exactly correct. Let's be honest. I think the answer to that was no. Yeah. Well, this is Sebastian, who's five months today.

Oh, well, to be fair, that's... What do you expect from a five-month-year-old? She knew what was going on. And she says, let's pronounce both your names perfectly. After five months of maternity leave, I go back to work on Monday. Oh, wee. Congratulations. This summer, your podcast has got me through some low and lonely moments,

many long buggy walks and lots of not knowing what the hell I'm doing. My husband's listened pretty relentlessly on his commute and we regularly discuss our favorite bits at the end of each day when we are too tired to talk about much else. Thank you both for your support and many laughs. We're coming to see you live on Sunday, the 23rd of April. Our son's first birthday,

Maddie, Summers and Sebastian. Yes, we are on tour. Also, Rob, we need to plug this book. It's bloody coming out soon. Right, yeah. You did a great Instagram post about it. It was very obvious who it had come from. Yeah, well, I was a little bit annoyed.

Look, Josh, I love our listeners, okay? I love the little community. I love our listeners. I love the little community we've created. All these guys, you know, and people share stories. Instagram, the Instagram comments are popping. Everyone's being supportive. We do small business shout outs,

trying to get small businesses up and running. We've done 225 episodes for free. We get a lot of people listening, which is great. We love it. However, I've seen the pre-orders and the numbers don't match. They don't match. I'm not expecting every... They're very healthy pre-orders for the numbers don't match they don't match i'm not expecting they're very healthy pre-orders for a book rob but not for a podcast book they're great

everyone's really happy however i've looked at the numbers for how many people normally listen to an episode of this how many people have pre-ordered the book and i'd say we're at one two percent yes which is so two percent of people listening and have been listening for free for 225 episodes but haven't bought the book that is £10 on Amazon at the moment. And it's very good. It's fucking great. Do you know what? It's annoyed me.

You're really good, Rob. We could have got ghostwriters in and not put any effort in. I fucking read. We could have turned out any old shit, Rob, and got away with it. They didn't say in the contract it had to be good. No. But we bloody well went and did it. I've fucking written They didn't say in the contract it had to be good. No. But we bloody well went and did it. I've fucking written this book, right?

And it's hard writing a book. And 2% of our listeners... It works out, Josh. If you spend £10 on the book... Yeah. If you spend £10 on the book and you have listened to every episode of this podcast, it works out that you've paid,

you get a book, and every episode works out about 4p an ep. Oh, what a day. 4p. 4p an ep. paid you get a book and every episode works out about 4p and ep 4p plus you get the book which is if anything it's like the episodes only imagine if we'd gone through an editor and all the shit bits had been taken out

exactly my dog's chewing something let's not over look the fuck Rose and Lou have done chapters as well. Rob's gone. I'm just stuck on my own now. Sorry. That was live action.

Telling my dog off there, Josh. But yeah, basically, 4p are fucking... I've written this book, Josh. We could have got... We cannot lose to Ryland and Gary Neville. No. Do you know what, Rob? The publisher said to me,

it's a big week, you come out. You come out the same week as Peter Crouch. We can beat fucking Peter Crouch. Do you think he's written it? Do you think he's written it? No, do you know what, Rob? The publisher said to me, it's a big week, you come out, you come out the same week as Peter Crouch. We can beat fucking Peter Crouch. Do you think he's written it? Do you think he's written it? Yeah, oh, come on, Peter Crouch isn't sat over the bloody typewriter at 11pm, is he? He's not written that. We're stopping the podcast if we don't beat Peter Crouch, it's that simple.

Oh, that's embarrassing. Also, we've got Stacey Solomon on this week now as well, so you're all going to buy her book, fucking tap to tidy. Fucking how about tap to fucking buy this book? Sorry, is this too aggressive, this sales pitch? No, I like it, Rob. I like it. 4pm episode, just buy the book, you fucking cheapskates. Anyway, Josh, how are you? Good? Yeah.

Also as well, you don't have to buy the book. If you're sitting there and you're a bit tight this month, don't buy the book. But I know there's some people with dollar in the pocket, you bastards. Anyone that just got anyone in that top level of tax that just got an absolute bonus, spend it on 400 books. Just do it.

Get the country back on its feet. Get out there and buy 400 copies of our book. Yeah, exactly. You're helping the economy grow. We're trying to grow here, mate. Anyway, but I'm only half joking, but I do think it's a bit of a liberty but that's fine that's on me and it um anyway rob stacy solomon today i'd say in a way our most anticipated

episode yeah people people want this hard don't they um we had joe swash on but i'm i'm interested to get joe swash on a second time after stacy basically slugs him off i think she'll be nice about him because i went to their wedding and it was the most, the speeches. Tell me about the wedding. The speeches went on for about three hours, but they were some of the most heartbreaking, beautiful speeches because they're a sort of a massive blended family.

So everyone, so Joe's swash, his dad died when he was young. So Joe's mum spoke and then like, and then their kids are older now. They're the kids from their first relationships are all like teenagers. So it was like 15-year-olds doing speeches about how much they love Stacey and Joe. And they're so young doing a speech.

And then at one point I was crying. I turned around to, I think Joe's brother-in-law, big guy. He was crying too. And he went, fucking hell, it's like Comet Relief. But I felt very privileged to be invited it was a beautiful day one one thing i might bring up in this episode is when we were waiting for stacy to walk down the aisle and i checked my phone because i was a bit bored waiting for the wedding to start that's life and um she did a story on instagram of her running a bath and i was like come on come on

fair enough have a bath it's your day but don't put it on fucking Instagram while I'm sat in the sun sweaty me bollocks off here do you know what that's like

when someone's late and then they turn up with a coffee and you're like come on mate but it was a wedding day so I didn't bring it up

but I might bring it up I might bring it up on this has anyone got a reason why this couple can't be joined yeah she had a fucking bath mate before we say so do you want a couple of emails I might bring it up on this. Has anyone got a reason why this couple can't be joined? Yeah, she had a fucking bath, though. Before we bring Stacey on, do you want a couple of emails?

Or do you want to bring her on now? Yeah. Do you know what? It's not our decision, Rob. Michael? Yeah, I think you guys should probably do a little bit more than six minutes' work. That's the equivalent of Josh trying to get off work early. Josh, we've probably done enough, haven't we there? There we go.

There we go. It's a boomer story. Hi, guys. 34 years ago, my mum fell pregnant but had a holiday to Cornwall booked. On this holiday was me and my dad. I was three years of age. And my mum and our new baby, who was four weeks old. My mum thought it would be too much to go to Cornwall

with a three-year-old and a four-week-old. However, the other friends that we were going with convinced her it would be okay because there was another couple of couples that could help with the baby. So, one afternoon, my baby brother hadn't stopped crying, so my dad and the other dads on the trip said they would take him for a walk.

They conveniently found a pub. After four hours, my mum, who was looking... Four hours? My mum... Four hours? It is a boomer story. After four hours, my mum, who was looking after me and the other three-year-olds with a few other mums,

said she was starting to feel really anxious as they were nowhere to be seen. She was still breastfeeding him and thought, he really needs a feed soon. They'd better bring him back. She then saw in the on the horizon my dad and his mates walking up the hill towards him she thought thank god it's been four hours but he's here now i can feed him the only problem was there was no baby what

there was no pram no just four men i'm glad we did an email this is absolutely incredible just four men oh my god walking down a hill oh my god with no pram as soon as my dad saw my mum they locked eyes and he realized that she had seen four grown men walking down a hill with no baby all all four of them turned around and sprinted back to the pub to collect the buggy and the baby inside to bring back for a feed. Fucking hell. What kind of baby? How chilled is that baby? What did you forget about?

It does say here, my dad's defence was, the baby was asleep and not crying. That's all you asked me to do. Incredible. Oh dear. Absolutely. Boom.

That was a good one, wasn't it? That is what, you know, we've got a good producer there. He got our heads back in the game. We did a good email. Now it's time for the SS. Sorry, Stacey Solomon. Don't ever say that again. Yeah, don't say that.

It's not time for the SS. Fat. Next up, Nazi parents. Sorry, you know, I'll sometimes call you, I'll say JW or RB. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I went for SS and realised it meant something bad. But no, it's not. It's Stacey Solomon, who is, yeah, one of the most requested.

I'd say the queen of Instamum. The ultimate request we've had, I'd say. This is the one the listeners have been looking forward to. Yes, I'm a huge fan of Stacey Solomon. So I will be biased in this interview because I love her to pieces. And I love Joe Swash. We haven't recorded it yet. It might be fucking dog shit.

Imagine if she comes on with really sort of far-right views. Low energy. OK, that was the SS. Weird one. Tap to tidy. Let's tidy up. Let's tidy up the planet. Tap to tidy. OK, here's Stacey Sullivan.

Welcome to the podcast, Stacey Sullivan. Good morning. How are you? Oh, my gosh, I'm tired. How are you? All right. So have you got a kid there then, Stacey? Yeah, I've got a few of those.

No, listen, my son Rex is here and my daughter Rose is here. I luckily managed to time Rose's nap to a tee, so she's asleep. But Rex is running around playing Hot Wheels, so you might hear some door slams and some feet running around. I'm sorry. It goes away at the moment. So I've literally, it's just us. We usually try and do our work.

Oh, that was nice, Rex. Thank you. We usually try and do our work alternatively, but it just, Rex. Thank you. We usually try and do our work alternatively, but it just hasn't happened in the last three weeks because he's been away. Oh, fair enough. He's been away filming. Stacey, for the uninitiated,

please can you run us through how many children you have and their ages, if possible? I don't know if I can remember myself. I've got four children. Together we've got five children. Joe's we've got five children Joe's eldest son Harry he's 15 my eldest is 14 um then there's Leighton who's 10 oh my gosh how bad is it that I have to sit and think how old they are I'll forget their names sometimes I'm like Theo tell your peanut which are the dog's names until I finally reach my children's names.

And then we've got Rex, who is three, and Rose, who is about to be one. And you've got a load of dogs as well? Just the two dogs. Just the two dogs. Yeah. Do you know what? Four kids isn't enough. Shall we get two dogs as well?

Amazing. Well, I met one of your dogs, Peanut, at the wedding, and he's very well behaved oh my gosh peanut is the most friendly dog ever he loves people and when you were at the wedding when we got our photos back from that little photo booth peanut was in nearly every single one in the taxi getting pictures of everyone well no peanut was asleep in the taxi and then everyone went in and just sort of picked him up and he stayed asleep or half woke up for a photo and then they left him in the cab so he was always in the cab he loves the cuddle so much he had the time of his life that day there

were so many people giving him attention oh it was it was amazing i'll just say because we were so um me and lou were so um honestly invited with the girls and it was such a lovely day i'd say i've been to a load of weddings. You know, you go to some weddings and they're nice. Or there's some where you go, he did that and she don't know. All those sort of things. But it was a proper tour. Let's hear more about those ones, Rob.

I know. I can't. Just a bit more details on those ones would be ideal. You know the weddings I'm talking about. And honestly, I've never been to a wedding full of so much love. And the speeches nearly absolutely killed me, Stacey, because all your boys are a bit older now. They're like teenagers.

They did speeches about you and Joe and what all you meant to each other. And Joe's mum did one because Joe's dad's not around. And oh, my God, it was. Do you know what? It was so funny because the boys did it. We didn't say to them we have to do a speech or anything like that. So we didn't know if they were going to do anything or not. We just said, you know, on the day, if you fancy it, go for it.

And Joe was an emotional mess the whole day, weren't he? Yeah. So before I even walked down the aisle, I had people coming up to me, like my mum and my mother-in-law, saying, don't worry, Joe's a bit of a mess down there, but don't worry, he's happy. I was like, what the heck is going on? So, like, as I walked down the aisle he was already sobbing and I just I'm not very cryy I don't know why I'm just not very cryy and I thought I'll be fine the whole day it'll be absolutely fine and then as

soon as the boys were like oh yeah we want to say something we want to say something I just could not hold it in because they never say anything, especially teenage boys. They basically don't ever tell you how they feel or what they think of anything. So it was really emotional to hear, like, what they had to say. And they were actually really nice. I was so surprised. You know, you go through that moment where you're like, oh, what are they going to say? What are they going to reveal here?

Yeah, I've never seen teenage boys be so sort of emotional because I was expecting them to go, yeah, and dad, you're a bit of a dick or like what teenage boys think is funny but don't realise it's a wedding. It must have been so lovely to hear, especially with, I think, the words blended family now. Like you're always worried if they're not going to get on and things like that, but that must have been lovely for you. It was so nice.

It really was so nice. And I think as well because Joe's very open at home and he really talks about his dad a lot and how much it affected him losing his dad, I think the boys, because we are a blended family and their lives necessarily and their parents haven't been everything that you see in the films, I think they really appreciate what Joe's been through.

And, you know, he's an amazing dad and an amazing father figure in our lives. And it was just so like, I think it was just really, yeah, really shocking to see that we're doing all right. They're actually quite happy. It was just like, phew. What's going on in the background, Stacey? We need an update. You know what?

My baby has woken up. Oh, no. Rex thought I'd left him because I went to check on the baby. I'm so sorry. It's okay. It's all right. I think when we interviewed Joe, for some reason, he ended up recording it in the toilet.

I don't even remember why. Oh, my God. Because he loves being on the toilet. That's his alone time. I'm not joking. Sometimes he'll go, I'm just going to the toilet, babe. Watch the kids. I go, all right, then.

Two hours later, I'm like, you still on that toilet, yeah? I ring him, I FaceTime him to see if he's actually sitting down. He'll fully strip, get naked, pretend he's going to the toilet just so he can spend a couple of hours on his own. Is he a fully stripper for the toilet, then? Fully naked? Fully stripper. He's so weird.

Yeah, I remember him fully stripping off in the jungle. We used to share a dressing room and he'd leave all his clothes outside the toilet to go to the toilet. Some people do that. Some people are full strippers for the toilet. It's so bizarre. I mean, I wish I had the time to fully strip to go to the toilet.

And he wouldn't fully strip for a piss, would he? No, it's always, it's fully stripped for a sit down. Yeah, yeah, cool, cool, cool. If he's in for the long haul you don't want to go into into a pub and he's just stood there at your iron or stark naked in his defense i think he's done so many bush tucker trials i think toilets are difficult for him when you think of what's been in his belly so you and joe are both working parents but also obviously hands-on with the kids

how do you split the jobs in the house if you're both at home is it or is it whoever's not working does everything or or do you have like roles joe's done done a really good thing when we first got together is he just did everything terribly so i would take over um so yeah he he quickly worked out how to get away with doing very little around the house. But he is the cook, I would say, out of all of us. I'll make, like, fun little snacks and stuff, but he is the chef.

So I probably am the cleaner, and I'm a bit meticulous, whereas he is not. You have to share a room with him. Oh, right. Stacey's drove me mad. So he, when he'd get, we'd share a room with him, and it was just his stuff, this drove me mad. So he, when he'd get, we used to share a room with him and it was just his stuff everywhere. And because he was like the senior one on the show,

like you can't really moan. You sort of have to get on with it. I don't think Joe's ever been the senior one on the show. Well, God knows where I was in the running order then if he wasn't. But I had to get my laptop out because I used to write a rude stand-up routine every night for the spin-off show of i'm a celebrity and by the end of the three weeks my laptop

keys wasn't working well that's weird and there was this weird bit of like plasticky lacquer on it and it was because when joe used to get his hair ready and that there's a lot of ways he gets his hair ready he has a special spray that i don't know what it's called that fiber stuff yeah the fiber stuff that sort of helps you if you're a bit follicly chatting my keyboard so it just it lands and it just because it's so sticky it's supposed to be sticky and thick in your hair it landed on my laptop and i couldn't press the keys it was a nightmare do you find sticky patches joe's left oh my goodness he's so he's just, I think because he lived on his own for such a long time, he looks like a student,

and he's just, it's bizarre. I've never known anything like it. And I think maybe it's why we ended up together, because we're the complete, absolute, complete opposites. Like, he'll spit his toothpaste into the sink and just leave it there until it goes dry and crusty, or, like, shave his beard, and there's just, like, spit his toothpaste into the sink and just leave it there till it goes dry and crusty or like shave his beard and there's just like little ginger cubes in the sink to do would be just turn the tap on and wash it down but it's almost like it's inbuilt in him not

to be able to do it um so you've got a one year how you how's the sleep with the one year old you know what she's actually a good sleeper. I am lucky with her. She sleeps okay. Yeah. But I think sleep in general when you've had kids is different, isn't it? You just... Yeah.

No, she doesn't want to sit down. Play with your cars. I'm going to carry her. She'll be happy, you'll be happy, and we can do a podcast. So you're carrying the one-year-old at the moment and the three-year-old's playing around your feet. This is vintage parenting. Even we wouldn't be doing this, Rob.

Commitment. No, no, it's perfect. You've got to work and Joe's away. You've got to do it, Stacey. You've got to do it. Yeah. I don't know if you feel the same, but don't you think sleep just is different?

I used to sleep and I used to fall asleep and wake up and think, oh, that's the best sleep ever. And I could sleep for another 10 hours. I haven't slept like that since I was 18 and I had Zach. Yeah. I don't remember that I was asleep. Yeah. It's just like constantly waking up all the time. You just survive on five hours sleep. It's just like I used to think Margaret Thatcher was a sort of robot only having five hours sleep. Now I'm like, lazy. She's getting five. Five hours is an absolute dream.

Five hours unbroken sleep. I reckon I could go for two days on that. Would you, if I offered you five hours every night for the rest of your life, would you take it? I think I definitely would. Yeah, without any interruptions. Hell yeah. What's the alternative? What else can I ask? your life would you take it i think i definitely would without any interruptions hell yeah so what time is she going down she's sleeping through oh the wreck is there

but we put her down about eight o'clock if we wanted to sleep through and then she sleeps for about seven she i hate saying that because i've had when rex was little he didn't sleep at all and hearing people say their kids slept for 11 hours before they were one just used to make me Like seven. I hate saying that because I've had when Rex was little, he didn't sleep at all. And hearing people say their kids slept for 11 hours before they were one just used to make me want to cry. So but she's my first one in four. Don't worry. Enjoy it. You deserve it. Because I have to spend some time with them. I feel like Rex has got a bit of that Joe Swash energy. I know you're quite energetic as well, but that sort of really excitable energy. Rex has sort of got that from Joe, do you think?

Rex is Joe's double in every single way. His mannerisms, his personality, his craziness, his ability to just find everything, the most exciting thing in the world. And he just can go and go and go. He is like Joe. Joe bounces off the walls. It's funny because people say to me,

is he like that at home? I'm like, yeah. He doesn't just get home and slough out and be really chilled. He's buzzing all the time. He's got his positives, though. Oh, yeah. He's got the most energy ever,

and he's so good with the kids. You know sometimes when you just want to sit there look at the telly and not even watch it just look at it yeah with like without thinking i can do that and he will play for hours and hours with those kids and he'll run around and like i i think thank god for your energy because i don't know what i do without it sometimes that's how i imagine you rob yeah yeah i mean yeah i, when I've not been working that much and I've got, like, the energy, like, yeah, I can't sit still. I'd rather be out with the kids all day taking them somewhere

than just being indoors with them, trying to keep them, like, taking over kind of thing. But then that's why, like, you know, I think that's why you're with someone where it works, where, like, you and Joe, I've known Joe before. He was with you and, like, he was, when we was away in Australia and it was a bit more difficult for him, I think, with, like, seeing you and like he was it was when was our way in Australia and it was a bit more difficult for him I think with like seeing Harry and stuff like that and the change in him since he's been with you is just so remarkable where he's always been that fun guy but

he would have times when he'd have to turn that on a little bit because it was what it was expected of him but now it feels like it's really like not it wasn't authentic before but it feels natural and he's enjoying it and expressing himself and being him rather than sort of having to gee himself up for it because he's not as you know, because he's so happy with that. You know, on the wedding day, you saw it from both of you. And it's so lovely to see. And you both complement each other perfectly. Like you say, if you want to sit there and zone out and he's off with the kids, like, is it a bit of divide and conquer? You sort of work out different things that you both do with the kids. Oh, yeah.

I mean, that is all we can do. When you've got four kids, it's very much a military operation of how this is going to work. So it's like, right, we've got three different school rounds because they're all really different ages as well. So we've got nursery, primary and secondary. So we wake up and it's like, right, one of us has to shower with them. So what's your routine in the morning, Stacey?

What's your routine when you wake up on a normal day and you're both there? If we're both at home, it's the dream. I'll have a shower with the little ones. Joe will go and make the big ones get up and get ready. He'll make breakfast. We'll all eat. He'll do one school run, like Zachy's one probably

because it's the furthest away, and I'll do the two little ones. And then we get back home and put the baby down for a nap and we're like hallelujah so what time you're getting up but is that what time you're getting up what time's the first school like your departure so the first school run we leave at like 10 to 8 but we get out for up about six half five six because the baby's up or re Rex is up usually at that time. That's just like, that's the normal. I remember when I met Joe, he could sleep till about 1pm in the afternoon. And I used to sit next to him in bed and almost like hate him for the ability to be able to lay in.

I used to be like, you know when you're sort of going round, opening and shutting doors really loud, and then they wake up and you go, oh, sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up, but really deep deep down that's all you were trying to do that's what i used to do when i first met joe now he can't sleep past 7 a.m and it makes me so happy he's a big fan of a cat nap though he's like a dog and if he finds a corner he will curl up and sleep yeah do you know what him and rex can both do that when I had Rex, I'd never seen anything like it. Rex would find like a dog basket or a random piece of soft material and just curl up on the floor and go to sleep.

And then I used to look at Joe and he could do exactly the same thing. He could be buzzing, doing all the school runs, cooking breakfast, coming home, and then all of a sudden he's on the armchair snoring and I think, how? How did he do that? Yeah, he is a great catnapper. And what's Rex like into? So is he at that awkward age where he's not fully into primary school yet,

but he's got full of beans and he's entertaining all day? Is he three, did you say? Yeah, he's three. So he's all right, darling. He's just opening some ice gems. Bear with me. Sounds like he needs some energy. Bit of sugar.

Should sort him right out. No, he's really good. Hold on one second. I'm putting the baby in a high chair. That's at least three minutes. Three minutes for mum. Yeah. Three minutes of podcast gold coming up.

What are you feeding the baby in the high chair? The baby in the high chair has got these uh weird rusky type biscuits and rex has got ice gems so stacy can i ask a question because your lifestyle is very busy obviously you've got loads of kids and then also you're loose women you're writing books brilliant books coming out this year joe's busy with lots of filming he's written a book as well so you've got very big busy lifestyle at work and at home and then your instagram's huge and there's a pressure for you to post on there you seem to manage all of it in a sort of very positive full of energy way is there certain coping strategies you have or do you think

that's in your nature to be comfortable when you're busy how do you how do you manage it i don't know if you find it the same, but for me, I genuinely, in this industry, think to myself, sometimes you'll be really busy and really popular and sometimes no one will care who you are and everyone will hate you, right? That's a positive way to look at it. But it is the way that it goes. It's often done.

And also, it's not like you can get yourself a promotion and be like, right, I've sorted myself out. I've worked my way to the top, so I'll stay here now. Well, Holly and Phil like within one day it's so hard it's so hard it's not an industry that's secure in any way possible so me and Joe just always say to each other when when work's coming in and we're lucky enough to get jobs we've got to just go for it and we wanted a family and we had a family so we've got to just make it work and make it happen. And I think that's what gets us through it most of the time is that, yes, there are some times when I'm like, oh, my God,

actually my brain doesn't function because there's too much on. But ultimately, a month later, I could have absolutely nothing in the diary. So I just hammer it and go for it and work as hard as I can because none of this has longevity. Or even if it does you don't know what that longevity is or you know what position you're going to be in so we're just trying to make the most of it and do it and then it just goes by and you get through it don't you well because we've Joe's away for three weeks did you say yeah so that is tough but you

know I go away touring sometimes and lose on her own. So how are you managing that? Do you have childcare or does your family help out? Or is it all on you? I'd actually say I'm not managing it. My kids have been late for school for the last three weeks. It's just one of them times where it's just unmanageable. I haven't cooked a healthy meal every night. I haven't gotten to bed on time.

Sometimes I've been late for school. And it just is what it is because I don't have that second pair every night. I haven't gotten to bed on time. Sometimes I've been late for school. And it just is what it is because I don't have that second pair of hands. My family are amazing. At the moment, though, it just so happened while he was away, none of them are around. My sister's really busy. My mum's gone to look after my grandma. My dad, on a whim, you know Dave.

Yeah, I know Dave. He's in Mexico. He just got up and went to Mexico. I went, Dad, I want me home. He went, oh, sorry, love. Didn't know. See you in a couple of weeks. Oh, my God.

He was the king of Ibiza on the stag deal, Stacey. Oh, my God. Do you know what? I'm so worried about him, Rob. I'm not joking. I was like, he is a vitality. Honestly, he was good as gold. And do you know what he is?

He just loves a chat. And he's very charismatic and all the all the girls but it was quite funny though because all the girls and women i'll say more women than the girls there's sort of an older element that i'd be for we're all drawn to him and chatting to him and he was like i'm the boy again but a lot of it was it's stacy solomon's dad so i think after about 10 minutes you realized there was just sort of fishing for stories about you really and he got a bit annoyed but you know what he's the nicest man and he means well he's

got a heart of gold but he has no like self-awareness he loves joe so much oh yeah he couldn't believe he'd even invited him on his stag he was so happy i. I was like, no, why are you inviting my dad? And he was like, I love your dad. I was like, oh, my God. But Dave was over the moon about it, I tell you. So he's in Mexico, so it's sort of you on your own. It's just me and the odd Gemma. Can you help me out a little bit, my sister? Yeah.

On a school run or two, but it has just been me. Have you had to do all three school runs at any point? Yeah, yeah. This morning I went to Zaki's school, which is about 25 minutes away, so I dropped him, then I dropped Leighton, and actually Rex doesn't have nursery on a Monday, so he came back with me.

So you've got four of them in the car. You've got the baby, you've got Rex. Oh, my word. I don't, but do you know what? I do love it so much. I've always wanted to be like the Waltons. And here I am, living the dream. I think you've gone so far that it'll be like,

oh, this is like the Solomon's Swash, isn't it? I think you're going to be the new terminology for it. Oh, my God. How do you even get four kids from a house into a car? Talk me through the practicalities of that. I am so lucky. You've met my older ones, Rob. Yeah, they're lovely lads.

They're actually amazing boys, like really amazing boys. And where there is that big age gap, they'll help me. They'll help me get like, so Zach will get Rex dressed. Sometimes Latelyn will get Rose dressed and they'll help me get them all into the car.

Like it's like, they are incredible kids, to be fair. So I'm lucky with that. They're like my childcare. Yeah. Well, they're older. You forget how old a teenage boy is, really. Like, you know, they're 12, 13. They could do a lot and help out.

They know what they're doing. And they properly all love each other and get on really well, which isn't always the case. There's a lot of sometimes families that come together where it's like there's new kids from different couples and stuff like that. It can cause friction, but they seem to love it. Was there any point where it was a bit awkward

when they were jealous of the new babies? Oh, not the baby. I think the blended family situation has been a rocky road. So that's never been easy. And we've always had to sort of work really hard to try and make sure everyone feels secure. So that was never easy. And they fight.

Like, yeah, they're all amazing, but they all have massive arguments sometimes and beat each other up. They're four boys. So they're super boisterous. You know, like I've watched my kids literally drag each other down the garden and I'm like, oh, God, not again. And that's normal as well. As long as they help me and they present themselves in a good manner

at school that I'm proud of, I don't care. They can have their rough and tumbles. They can have their moments where they lose it a little bit. It's annoying, but I think it's just life. It'd be weird if they was always really well together. Then I'd be like, Oh, exactly. Here come the issues.

Yeah. Because also when you've got like, you know, I've got half brothers and I've got four brothers, whatever that sort of means. But you know what I'm saying? We're like, you get on with them all differently at different times,

whether they are, you've got the same mom and dad or a different mom or a different dad. There's always falling out and things like that. That's just, that's the way it's, how does Joe feel that at some point he probably will be the third toughest man in the household? He's already getting upset that Zach's nearly taller than him and Harry is taller than him. Harry's much bigger than him, his boy.

He could take him already, I think. Literally, he's like, I did that. I did that. I'm not tall. I'm tall because Joe's swash is about my height about 5 foot 8 and Joe's swash is like his full name he's your husband but

like I can imagine I just got visions of now he runs out and separates the boys and they're like teenagers but it's going to be a point where there's going to be this little ginger bloke separating two 6 foot geezers they're all going to be so tall but Zach is nearly taller than joe now and i'm the same height as joe and even that grinds his gears like on my wedding when we

got married he was like um so you're wearing flats or high heels that's not a normal question well he can't even do a big quiff can can he? That's the problem. He can't get an extra couple of inches with a hair. He was like, do I need Cubans? In all this, like, all this busyness, you've kept, like, this incredibly, you know, everyone's seen on your Instagram, incredibly beautiful house. How, I mean, how are you doing that? When are you doing that? Well, we are you doing that well we're only two

years in yeah but those two years are like since we had our second kid our house has just gone to total shit you know what if the thing is with the four kids situation is i think it's fair to say that two of them can look after themselves not that that I've abandoned them and I'm like, oh, you're 10 years old now, that's it, see ya. Fly the next. But essentially they have to pick up after themselves and they have to not be pigs. Do you know what I mean?

And that's just the rules in the house. Like they have to do their own washing, they have to wash up after their dinner. Do they wash their own clothes? Yeah, 100%. Really? If Leighton comes in and asks me where his football kit is i'll lose it because i'm like if you put it in the main wash where i wash

everything i don't know if you want to find out where it is if you want to know where everything is and keep up to date do your own loads yeah so he just puts his own on what age did you start that from and teach them the the washing machine um leighton's been doing it for a couple of years and so is that probably a couple years ago latin was about eight that was probably 12 and i just was like here is this easy so tablet start goodbye i mean you're gonna teach joe has he started i don't let joe anywhere near my washing if i wanted to fit me at the other end. There's no way. But I don't wash Joe's clothes either. He washes his own. So there's, oh, really?

So there's sort of, yeah, because otherwise it's just too much for one person to do, whether it's you or Joe. Exactly. And you don't keep up with it and you just think, and I feel like people, when they're responsible for their own washing, they want it done. Do you know what I mean? Yeah.

There's an urgency because they need to they need they need to wear their clothes they need their uniform i'll do the kids like shirts and stuff and uniforms but any of the clothes they wear outside of school that's all them trainers they'll chuck in the wash anything like that right so you sort of now they're a bit older they're doing more so it gives you a bit more time to do yeah especially when the house is part of your job, you know, and you want to take a nice picture in the hallway. Yeah. You just need them all to pick up their shit.

Are you going to set up a B-Real account, though, where you can just see their shoes in the background of the photo just in case it's still out? I will always say, like, if one room in my house is nice, I'll always be like, don't worry, the rest of it looks like an actual tip, do you know what I mean? And I'll just show it because I think it's normal. Do you feel a pressure to sort of upload lots? Obviously because, you know, with Loose Women, if you're on that show,

they say beer on this day and you have to turn up or you've got a book deadline. But with the Instagram, because it's you and it's all on you, do you sort of, like, it's hard sometimes if you're like, oh, God, I've got to do that. Or do you just enjoy expressing yourself on there? I don't think there is much of a pressure because I don't think anyone is that hooked on anyone else's life.

All right, look, Stacey, I know you're being humble here, but you are. No. No, you're unbelievable on there. No one's making me propose, Rob. Stacey, shut up. You know they are. No. People love it. They areet you know they are some people love it they are and people are really happy about it and there's tiktoks where people moan about you where like

they go fucking hell stacy's done this tiktok now my wife's gone down ikea to buy this certain fucking mirror you are you influence the influencers you're the top you're the stop it you're unbelievable stacy you're just being doing being humble i think it's not the You influence the influencers. You're the mothership. Stop it. You're unbelievable, Stacey. You're just being humble. It's not the audition stage of X Factor now, Stacey. Own it. You're insane.

5.4 million fucking followers, Stacey. I think it's more casual than that, Rob. I don't think if I go off for a few days, people are going to be like, oh, my life is over. Maybe not that far. For me, I enjoy it. It's like a social life. I don't have many friends. You saw it at the wedding.

Not got any time. I don't have many mates. I've only got a couple of mates from school and a couple of mates I've made in the last 10 years or whatever. But mostly because our home life is so busy and our family life is so busy you don't even have time to like nurture those friendships very much so there's I remember when we was in lockdown and I was like oh my gosh I'm just here on my own like doing nothing like it's the weirdest most bizarre like no stimulation for your mind you're not out working you're not out doing anything and i just got um i just started going on socials more because so many people were

in the same boat and i just enjoyed it like i i laugh so much at the messages i get sometimes because they're so funny and people are just you forget that everyone out there is normal so yeah you can get a really walked opinion of what people think or what they feel or what's going on in the world by just like watching the news or you know only listening to the media outlets available to you so when you get to do something on your own channel where you can interact with people on a daily basis it just brings like a whole different dimension to i don't know i don't even know it's just i find it really warm and comfy and i love going on yeah well i think you you wouldn't be able to do it if you didn't love it you know it seems really authentic and i know it is you can tell when someone's instagram is forced can't

you i don't know can you i think yes yeah hard though didn't they it's easy for me when people say oh don't ever change stay the same and i'm like sure i don't really know how to be anything else i thank god some people are all right do you still do crisps on the uh on the clothes pegs oh my god you want to see the crisps on the clothes peg you still do i honestly don't think there's anything better than salting your crisps out on the floor. Oh, wow, look at that. That is a live crisp can. I think that was invaded by Rex, obviously.

Yeah, of course. Your book, Tapped Tidy at Pickle Cottage, crafting and creating at home with love. Like, you must have loads of people who are just, like, sending you pictures and stuff of how their home now looks like your home and all the things that you've you've you've started a movement right no i don't think i started i think diy and doing things yourself has always been popular and people have enjoyed it because first of all i mean the cost of things nowadays is just ridiculous

so for one most people will get a quote and be like well i can't afford that so how else can i do it but also there is a real joy and level of satisfaction out of looking at a space and thinking i'd love it to look like this finding out how you can make it like that yourself and then doing it and then looking back and thinking god i did that it's such a good feeling and so i think it's always been something people absolutely love to do but i when we moved in here i just wanted it to be a normal move the reality is is that some people have them the facilities and contacts and whatever to move into a house and six weeks later it's all fully

furnished fully done to a really high spec I didn't know anyone like that who could help us with that and I didn't and also it's like a cost thing isn't it because it costs like 10 times more to do it that way around and I also really wanted to be involved in the process so I thought I'm not going to have much time to do anything else online if I'm going to be renovating. I might as well share it with everyone and see if I can pick up some useful tips from other people, information. And if I do something wrong, then I can share it and people will know, oh, I won't do that when I try it.

Do you know what I mean? So I just put it up because I thought it might have been useful for people, but also useful for me. Well, no. Yeah. Also, it's very inspiring where women doing DIY has not really been something that's been thought it might have been useful for people but also useful for me well no yeah i suppose also it's very inspiring where like you know women doing diy has not really been something that's been seen a lot and and you know and i think when you haven't seen anyone do it it's sort of like a blokey thing to do you think oh i probably can't do that i have to ring my dad or get a boyfriend

that can do that but you've shown people you know as you know you're with joe now but as being a single parent for a period of time that you can just go down the diar shop get the stuff and do it and you don't need to rely on anyone else you can do it yourself whether you're a man or a woman or whatever you are yeah i think i think we actually live in a different generation now where men are just as useless i'm dreadful i'm awful um because lou sometimes goes to me can can you do that? I go, no. I've got a knob of bollocks, but that don't mean I can put a shelf up. Who said that was a thing?

It's so funny because Joe is not like that at all. If I said to Joe, can you just chuck the fuse off because I'm going to put the light up, he'd be like, where's the fuse box? He would have no idea where anything is. And he doesn't like it. He doesn't enjoy it. He finds it really intimidating. And he never really learned it growing up.

Whereas I was really lucky. My dad was so weird about us knowing how to do stuff. He was like, you won't be able to afford a plumber or electric or whatever when you're older. You've got to know how to do it yourself. You can't just call on someone. So he was adamant that we all learnt. So really that's a huge privilege for us that we'd had a level, a really basic level of education in bits and bobs around the house

from my dad. And then, yeah, I do think it's funny how people think that maybe men are better at it than women. But I think it's probably because it's funny how people think that maybe men are better at it than women but i think it's probably because it's skewed you know even now when zachary goes into school his dnt class for like woodwork and stuff is mostly boys and then the the um sewing class is mostly girls which is just strange and i don't know if this is they're sort of pushed in that direction or it's what they see on the media or the things they're consuming like outside of school which makes them think they can't do those things but yeah it's you do sort of grow up with that impression that yeah if you yeah find a man they'll do it

if um if i was to find a man yeah i'll do it if i was to do my first project i'm rubbish at diy what would be my intro thing that you think would be an easy way to make myself feel practical and good? Put up a shelf. I can't put up a shelf. I don't like to put up a shelf. What about hitting a wire? Don't people hit a wire and then electrocute themselves? First of all, unless you're putting up a shelf right next to a plug socket it's unlikely that you're gonna hit

a wire see that's the tip i didn't know i didn't know to avoid the plug socket i'm already learning this is good you're not gonna put a shelf on a plug socket how are you yeah so avoid plug sockets which are mostly low level anyway so you're not gonna put a shelf on the floor and then you can get a wire tester off amazon for like two or three pounds put it up against the wall and it'll beep if there's any live electrics behind there and if you're really that worried turn all your electrics off because then worse comes to worse if you were to hit a wire at least you won't nothing will happen you'll just have to get an electrician in and it'll cost a fortune but next question next question how do i turn my electrics off you go to the fuse board and you press down on all the buttons that are up that say on.

Okay. Or just stop paying your bill. Okay. Yeah. Next question. Where's my fuse board? Your fuse board is generally in a weird random cupboard somewhere. Some people have it in the kitchen.

You know how sometimes you'll find a boiler in a cupboard in the kitchen? The fuse box will be under the stairs or in the boiler, somewhere central to the house, basically. OK, good. I think I'm there. You don't want me to come round and put a shelf up, is that what you're saying? Don't mind.

Any questions on those lines, Rob? Well, no, I was thinking, like, you know, with the D&T and the sewing class, but I think I'm very similar to Joe, where I just do something straight away and I'm overexcited and I don't plan, I'm thinking like, you know, with the D&T and the sewing class, but I think I'm very similar to Joe where I just do something straight away and I'm overexcited and I don't plan. I'm not logical where you're much more like Lou, my wife, Stacey, where you will plan things and go do that in order.

And you quite like order and things in the right place. And I do this in that order where me and Joe just attack it. And I think it's more how your brain works as opposed to what gender you are that what makes you more suitable for like DIY stuff. Obviously, I could probably learn how to do all the diy stuff but i'm not very good at doing stuff in an order i'm terrible at that and it just it just fries my brain so anything right other than do you enjoy it yeah if you enjoy it if you like sitting there making a flat pack and following instructions or watching a video and then trying to do it yourself,

then you're going to do it and you're going to do it as well as you can do it. Obviously, practice, like the more you do it, the better you get. That's just standard. But you're never going to love doing it or be good at doing it if you hate doing it because you'll rush it. I've watched Joe build things from really simple flat packs, right? And I've been like, as I'm watching him, I'm thinking, he doesn't get the instruction booklet out.

He pours all the screws and stuff onto the floor. He doesn't even plan how he's going to do it, which is the opposite way of how I would do it. I would enjoy methodically getting the screws out, making sure I know which screw is which number, reading the instructions, seeing how it ends up and how it starts. He won't do any of that and there'll be a chair

with a leg like coming out the top of it or something. And he's like, I don't know why it don't work. That's exactly what I do. Lou goes mental. So you wouldn't get the instructions out of him?

I'd pour all the screws on the floor and I'd use the instructions but immediately go on number one without looking at any of the, I wouldn't go through the whole booklet before I start and I would start with whatever. Oh, I don't go through the whole booklet.

You don't go to the last page of a novel, do you? It's not a novel. It's telling you what something's going to become. I don't want it to ruin the ending. You don't want to ruin the ending. Well, I always think if you don't know how it's going to turn out, then you can go wrong at any point.

Yeah, yeah. So I always think, get to the end, see how it's supposed to look. And then as you go in, if you think, oh, that don't look right, that's not how it looked like in the end picture, then you know you've done something wrong. But I honestly think it's not for everyone. Like, judges don't like it, And I think that's fair enough. And that's why there's experts out there who will do it for you as well.

But he likes cooking. So he does the cooking. He's got a cooking book out as well, hasn't he? Yeah, he has got a cookbook out. He's so funny because he don't tell me nothing. And then like he'll post on Instagram, I've got a cookbook out. I'm like, babe, you could have told me. He's like, oh, yeah.

So you're going head to head. Head to head in book sales what how have you translated your instagram to the book then because the book calls tap to tidy isn't it at pickle college is that right at pickle yeah that's right and so what's in the book so basically it's every room that i tackled in this house and ended up doing myself it's like a really detailed step-by-step instruction book of how I did it because there's so many things I wish I'd have known when I started and so many things that I really found helpful and useful so I just and people ask me all the time like oh I wish I had the confidence to put a shelf up or do panelling or whatever and I just

thought hopefully if I can write it all down and tell people like a really clear um cut easy-ish way to do it then maybe it will give people the confidence to do it or even they'll just enjoy looking at the pictures because the illustrations are so pretty and I do love a picture book um it's like a recipe book for rooms yeah it's basically like the the diy version of a cookbook nice no i loved it i mean there's don't get me wrong i'm not a carpenter i'm not a plumber i'm not a trade person with a specific skill set but there's little bits and pieces that i can do that i did do that i absolutely loved so i just thought it would be fun to document it down. And it's quite a nice little look back through the house

because we've been here two years as well. And when you do do bits around your own house, it's mad to look how it started and to think what you walked into as close to what it's become. And when you know a lot of that is you and you've put your life out like your heart and soul into it it is such a nice feeling i remember getting the book for the first time thinking oh my god i remember when i did that like i loved making rose's room i loved making the blue loo the little downstairs toilet was the first room i did because right it's tiny it's not too overwhelming

and i'm going to keep all the like plumbing fixtures so i don't need anyone to come in and do that so i can decorate it myself. And it was just my, I loved it. I loved every second of it. Painted it blue. You know, you just think you can have it any colour you want. You can put any design you want in there because you're doing it yourself

and no one's there to say, oh, that won't look right or that's a bad idea. I mean, sometimes that can bite you in the bum, but most of the time it's quite fun. And does Joe have any input into what he would quite like in the room or does he just completely let you just get on with it he he i will ask him because i'm like oh i hope i hope he likes it and he would just be like yeah sounds good like he doesn't have the foresight and he's really isn't that interested at all he's more like, you go and have some fun.

I'll go take the kids to the park. Oh, fair. That works well then. And you've nearly done all your rooms now. So what happens now? Do you move house again or redo the rooms again? Or you just enjoy it? I just want to enjoy it.

We've still got quite a few things to do. But the majority, like the bulk big stuff is done, which is such a nice feeling. So it's nice to just sit back and not have to do anything. I think for now, I just want to look after it. Like we never in our lives thought we would have a home like this ever. It's such a beautiful home as well. We're just so lucky, Rob.

Like we just got so lucky with it. And so there's such a joy home as well. Oh, we're just so lucky, Rob. Like, we just got so lucky with it. And so there's such a joy out of that. Repainting if something needs a repaint. Cleaning the things that you've done. Looking after the stuff that you've worked hard to put in there. There's a lot of heart in that house. It feels like a real family home. When you go in it, it feels like a proper family home full of love

where there's a lot of houses you walk in and they're nice houses, but you don't feel that, you know. But it's so lovely when you go in. You a lot of houses you walk in and they're nice houses but you don't feel that you know it's so lovely when you go in you sort of you know somehow as you go in and go that i could stay here for a few weeks and just feel like home it's one of them ones well you're more than welcome rob you know that anytime oh i doubt that you'll get me out doing school runs and everyone's washing i'll become smart it's true you're here you've got to chip in everyone contributes i reckon if i was doing a podcast 45 minutes in with two kids in the room, it would have collapsed by now. I can't believe how smoothly it's going.

How's it going with the two kids over there? It's going all right. Rexy's on his third packet of crisps. And Rose is having a cuddle with me. He's dragging a witch's hat around the floor as well, which is always fun because the boys wanted the Halloween decorations out. But, yeah, no, we get through things. We get through it.

That's incredible. So, yeah, the final question we ask everyone this, not always about Joe Swash but about their partner, what's the one thing Joe does that infuriates you with the kids as a parent and what's the one thing that he does that's amazing and you love him even more for it? a parent and what's the one thing that he does that's amazing and you love him even more for it um the one thing he does that infuriates me is he loves to get him stuff um that's like my least favorite thing i hate getting my kids stuff for no reason unless it's like birthday bar mitzvah or

whatever yeah why are they getting stuff do you know what i mean yeah it's not life you don't just get you don't just wake up one day and get stuff unless it's bills through the post so i hate that it drives me absolutely mental what kind of stuff is just like little teddies when he's out comes home with absolute rubbish you know like a plastic car or i don't know just like google slime gunk whatever and i'm like why but why do you hate me like what is this so is it more because you don't want the kids to feel like they just get stuff for the sake of it or does it just clog up the house? It's a combination of the two. Mostly I don't like them to get stuff unless there's a real reason for it

because I feel like rewards are for people who have done amazing things or it's really special. I'm saying that I'm a right dictator, but, you know, I just don't think they should get stuff for no reason ever I'd say from this interview you're not coming across as a horrible mum no one's going to take away that we've had guests like that but don't worry you're not one of them oh god

and then but yeah it also just fills up the house and you know what it's like Rob like they play with it for two minutes once the slime's in the carpet and it's ruined that's it and all I'm left with is a damaged carpet and an unhappy child yeah i think me and joe have got too much in common you might need to form a support group with lou i'm literally about to message her now like you ever want a break i'll send joe to yours you come tomorrow oh can you imagine the house if you if joe came and lived at mine with some of the kids,

it would be awful. The animal house, you know, the National Lampoon. Oh, my God. We would have the most meticulously beautiful house, Lou and I. I think you'd be able to operate in the kitchen if you two were there. And what's the best thing he does as a parent, Stacey? He just loves our kids so much. I fell in love with him because of how much

he loved his own son and how much you know time he had for my children and he's that has never has never and i know will never end i think this is the most attractive thing about him and yeah he loves them so much more attractive than his hair more attractive than every single fibre on a cake. I love every fibre of your body. Self-produced and applied. But it's his love. He just loves the kids so much. He just loves them, Rob.

He's just obsessed with them and he'd do anything for them. Yeah, I think that's all I really ever wanted from a partner was someone who loves us. That's all we need, really. And, yeah, he's got that in abundance. We're so lucky. So lovely. Thanks, Stacey. Thanks so much, Stacey.

It feels a bit sycophantic, this interview, but you and Joe are two of the most genuine, lovely people I've ever met, like, inside telly or outside telly stuff. And it's nice because sometimes people aren't all that they seem, but you two are definitely the real deal. And I'm so happy that you're happy and you've got such great success. And I hope both books go to number two and three in the charts behind that one. Oh, the feelings there too, Rob.

We love you. Cheers, Stacey. Thank you so much. Enjoy your kids. Love you. Bye. Bye. Stacey Solomon. Absolutely love that, Rob. She you, bye. Stacey Solomon.

Absolutely love that, Rob. She's great, isn't she? I think Taptotide is one of the most genius marketing things on Instagram that there's ever been. Yeah. Isn't it? Yeah. Amazing, isn't it?

Anyway, make sure you buy her book after you've bought ours. I'm recording this, Rob, from the booth that we're doing the audiobook in. Yes, that's exciting, isn't it but um buy the audiobook and the real book also i felt a bit harsh going in on the listeners the other day about but you know what i think i was right yeah i've looked at the numbers and they need to pull their finger out yeah see you in waterstones see what was there and see a blue water for the signing oh yeah and we're doing uh the london literature festival or something where we i mean that there's very much one booking for you,

one booking for me. There's very much one for each of us there. So I'll see you all at the London Literature Festival. I will be there. And I'll be drinking through blue water to get through it. And I cannot wait for my first and last London Literature Festival. Yeah, I really hope we turn up

and there's like some really like, I was about to name some people and I couldn't, but some really posh authors and then we turn up oh a.a gill is he an author he's dead so anyway uh he must yeah but he still wrote books didn't he yeah i'm sure he won't be there he won't be there that's the way you get out of it is it being dead that's how you get out of the london literature festival but your sales keep going but it will be. But it will be great, though. It will be great.

Yeah, look forward to us naming some more dead people that won't be there. To be honest, let's be honest, anyone going to London Literature Festival has probably not listened to the Stated Solomon episode. They certainly haven't got to the last bit. They certainly haven't got to the last bit. Right, I'll see you on Tuesday. See you on Tuesday.

Bye.