Joe Swash believes wife Stacey is an 'angel' sent by late father to bring him out of 'real darkness'

Joe Swash believes wife Stacey is an 'angel' sent by his late father, as he addresses the 'real darkness' he went through before they got together.

Devoted husband Joe Swash has opened up about how much wife Stacey has helped him through one of the toughest periods of his life. The star has battled periods of depression following the death of his father, and through custody struggles when he split from son Harry's mother, Emma Sophocleous.

Joe and Stacey married in 2022, with their wedding ceremony held at their Pickle Cottage home. The pair met in 2010 when Stacey appeared on, and won I'm A Celebrity. As the 2008 winner, Joe was hosting I'm A Celebrity: Extra Camp and interviewed his future wife on the show. 

Their relationship wasn't made official until 2016, but they quickly added to their family, which at that point consisted of Joe's son Harry, and Stacey's two children, Zachary and Leighton. Together, Joe and Stacey welcomed Rex in 2019, Rose in 2021, and Belle in 2023.

Just after their 2022 wedding, Joe spoke about the impact the death of his father had on him - he passed away when Joe was just 11-years-old. According to Tyla, the TV star said his cab driver dad had been a popular member of the community, with 1000 people turning up to attend his funeral. 

"All he was bothered about was his family," Joe said of his dad. He added "I remember sitting round the dining table, talking, laughing… And then he died and everything changed."

He spoke about struggling to cope with his grief, and only having one person to open up to at the time. "I bottled up my grief," he said. "I thought I had to be the man of the house. The only person I could break down in front of was Nanny Fran."

When Stacey and their blended family came along, there were even times Joe 'felt guilty' about how happy his life had become - he'd almost given up on conquering depression and having a joyful family unit.  

He now credits Stacey as being the 'angel' his father sent from above, to help him through his struggles. He said "I truly believe Stacey was an angel sent to me by my dad to bring me out of real darkness in my life," adding that if she hadn't come along "I don’t know what would have happened to me."

Joe recalls his attraction to Stacey when interviewing her for Extra Camp, and trying to kiss her - a kiss that wasn't returned. Although he felt 'mortified,' the pair kept in touch, and Joe visited Stacey at home as soon as they were both back from the jungle. 

"As soon as I got back to the UK, I went straight to her house from the airport," he remembers. "Her whole family was there, so it was a bit full-on. But actually, it was sort of perfect. I’d met this incredible girl who was all about family." Joe then realised his happy-ever-after with Stacey.

Recently, Joe has hosted the BBC documentary Teens In Care, an issue close to his heart as his mother fostered children once Joe and his siblings left home. During the show, she discussed the fostering experience candidly, and Joe has since suggested this is something he and Stacey will themselves consider when their own children are older. 

In other celebrity news, Hollyoaks star Chelsea Healey is pregnant with her second baby. We've taken a look at who Lewis Hamilton is dating, and whether he has kids. Boris Johnson's wife Carrie has given birth to their third child, and you'll be able to spot which of the names Boris chose.