How many kids does Joe Swash have? Everything we know about the TV presenter's family life

How many kids does Joe Swash have? The popular personality consistently appears on our screens, drawing attention to his family life at home with his wife and children.

From when he first lit up Eastenders as Mickey Miller to making the finals of Celebrity Masterchef, Joe Swash has become a household name. His affable, happy-go-lucky manner has made him and endearing choice to host a plethora of shows, and he's made a thoroughly watchable contestant on programmes such as I'm A Celebrity... South Africa - he made a recent return to the all-star legends addition to defend his 2008 title. 

With the amount of time viewers see his face in their homes, it comes as no surprise his family life holds just as interest as the next series he will front. When he got married at Pickle Cottage to long-term love Stacey Solomon, fans were delighted for the pair and their fairy tale day. Between the two of them, they now have a beautiful brood of children - but how many? Read on for everything you need to know about Joe and his children. 

How many kids does Joe Swash have?

Joe Swash has four children - son Harry from his relationship with former-partner Emma Sophocleous, and three children with Stacey Solomon; Rex, Rose and Belle.

He also lives with Stacey's two children from previous relationships, Zachary and Leighton, bringing the total number of children between the couple to six. Joe was engaged to Emma Sophocleous when first son Harry was born on June 16, 2007. By January 2008, the couple had announced their separation. A legal battle ensued for custody of Harry, resulting in Joe not having contact with his son for several months.

It was reported that the fight for custody left Joe in a deep depression. He said "When the cameras were off, I was in a mess. I’d shut myself in my flat and not talk to anyone. I wouldn’t answer the phone, even though I knew my mum was really anxious about me."

He added "Not being able to be the dad I wanted to be. I think, above everything else, more than acting or TV work, I’d always wanted a family and I thought: 'I’m never going to have that.' And all that sadness you keep locked away comes back on top of it all. It was a really bad time and it went on for years."

However, a custody agreement was formed, and Joe now has shared custody of 16-year-old Harry. The aspiring actor and songwriter features in some family snaps on Joe's Instagram account, and it's easy to see how proud his dad is of him. In the most recent picture, Joe's caption read "I can’t believe how big my little boys got! But he’s grown into such a handsome young man."

Joe began dating Stacey Solomon in January 2016, and their first child together, Rex, was born in May 2019. After five years of dating, the pair got engaged on Christmas Eve 2020. With four boys between them at this stage, their first daughter Rose, was born on October 5, 2021. On July 24 2022, the couple married in a ceremony held at their home; the sweetly named Pickle Cottage, in Essex. 

On December 28 the same year, Stacey made the shock announcement she was eight months pregnant with another child - the fifth for her, and her third with Joe. Baby Belle then followed on February 7, 2023. Stacey wrote on Instagram about her arrival, saying "Welcome to the world beautiful girl, thank you for the last few months in my tummy, we can’t wait to love you forever and ever we are so grateful we get to be your family." 

Who has Joe Swash been married to?

Joe has only ever been married once - to Stacey Solomon. He had previously been engaged to Emma Sophocleous, but the pair didn't make it down the aisle. 

Stacey shared many pictures and videos of her special day with Joe to social media, writing in the first instance "Me and My Husband. I don’t think I will ever get used to saying that. It all feels like a dream. 'You know you’re in love when you don’t want to fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams. Dr. Seuss."

She continued "The most special day that we didn’t ever want to end. We love you all & the special community we’ve built on here so so much and couldn’t wait to share these moments with you."

Was Stacey pregnant at her wedding?

Yes, Stacey would have been pregnant on her wedding day, although she later admitted she was unaware of the pregnancy at the time.

The pair hinted when they announced Stacey's fifth pregnancy that she was much further along than she'd expected to be. The social media post announcing the pregnancy just weeks before she gave birth, read "Coming soon… Much sooner than we thought." 

She continued "When we found out we still wanted to have that first few months you usually would to adjust and get excited and enjoy it to ourselves, but that didn’t leave us with very long left." Some fans in the comments hinted they already knew Stacey was expecting at the wedding, suggesting a small bump was obvious under her dress.

Stacey jokingly replied to these comments with "For those saying you knew when we got married well you could have let us know Poirot!"

What has Joe Swash acted in?

Joe has acted in The Adventures of Pinocchio, Shooters, London's Burning, and Eastenders.

Pinocchio and Shooters were just minor film roles for the aspiring actor, as were appearances in long-running series London's Burning. It was the main role of Mickey Miller in Eastenders that really catapulted Joe to fame. He played the role between 2003 - 2008, with a brief reprisal in 2011. 

Speaking on I'm A Celeb South Africa about his departure from Eastenders, Joe admitted to having the worst exit ever. He said "So usually you leave at the end of the episode and you get the ‘doof doof’. Mine, I went to Norwich to be a bell boy at a hotel and mid-scene I just walked into the Vic and went, ‘Right, see you later’. 

He continued "They turned back to Phil, turned back to me and I’d gone. I was like 'What, that’s it?' I was there five years and not one doof doof!"

Following his exit from the soap, he carved out a presenting career and hasn't looked back. He is about to front BBC documentary Teens In Care, exploring the stories of teens in care over the age of 16, the largest-growing group in both child protection and care. He is also set to discuss the idea of fostering, with wife Stacey.

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