BBC Factual has this week announced details of a major new fly-on-the-wall reality series starring Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash.
Set to air on BBC One and iPlayer, ‘Stacey & Joe’ will see cameras follow the lives of the much loved couple, their children, four ducks and two dogs, giving viewers a refreshing, honest take on their modern blended family. Through social media, millions of followers have seen glimpses of their life at home but this is the first time they are throwing open their doors to invite viewers in to the heart of Pickle Cottage.
Raising their ‘pickles’, Zach, Leighton, Rex, Rose and Belle who are aged between 16 and one, is no mean feat especially combined with busy work schedules and ambitious passion projects like building a two acre fishing lake.
Filmed during the summer and autumn of 2024, the series shows the couple as they celebrate their second wedding anniversary, revealing how they met and fell in love. Cameras also follow 16 year old Zach as he waits nervously for his GCSE results and we see Stacey winning big at the National Television Awards.
Can a much needed summer holiday in Turkey bring some harmony to the couple as they face their busiest year ever and with Joe spending more time at home over the last 18 months, Stacey is adamant she wants to spend more time with the children.
The series ends with the family all together as they prepare for a festive Pickle Cottage Christmas.
Commenting on the series via a BBC press release, Stacey Solomon says: “2024 was the year me and Joe pushed ourselves out of our comfort zones. We took on different projects and tried new things. It’s been so amazing and nerve-wracking all at the same time… And we just want to keep doing that in 2025, starting with ‘Stacey & Joe’. Working with the BBC and Optomen on ‘Sort Your Life Out’ has been a dream come true, so this team just made sense. We’ve loved showing a different side to our family’s fun and chaos. We can’t wait for you to join us at Pickle Cottage this year.”
With Swash adding: “We’ve been doing our best to keep this under wraps… But we’re so glad we can finally tell all of you about ‘Stacey & Joe’. Over the years, we’ve been asked a lot to do a show like this, but getting the opportunity to work with the BBC and Optomen felt properly exciting. There will be the normal madness of a family with lots of kids, plenty of animals and two busy parents. Here we go!”