{"id":406725,"date":"2026-02-04T03:45:18","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T03:45:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/406725\/"},"modified":"2026-02-04T03:45:18","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T03:45:18","slug":"i-was-friends-with-stacey-solomon-i-dont-recognise-the-person-she-is-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/406725\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018I was friends with Stacey Solomon – I don\u2019t recognise the person she is now\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Stacey is accused of being ‘a tricky character’ \u2013 but the picture being painted of her is not the Stacey I knew, writes Zara Zubeidi\"Stacey<\/p>\n

Stacey Solomon swears by \u2018life-saving\u2019 handheld steamer to get sinks clean (Image: Getty)<\/p>\n

It was one of the biggest nights in the celebrity calendar, but Stacey Solomon<\/a> was nowhere to be seen at the TV Choice Awards<\/a> on Monday night. While her partner Joe Swash <\/a>skipped the press interviews, their fly-on-the wall reality show Stacey & Joe failed to win an award – despite its popularly of 4 million viewers. And the negative headlines keep coming.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve known Stacey on and off for over a decade and I\u2019ve felt repeatedly baffled by the onslaught of cruel stories against the girl I knew and called a friend. The picture being painted of her is not the Stacey I knew and it\u2019s not a person I recognise.<\/p>\n

\"Zara<\/p>\n

Zara first met Stacey in 2014<\/p>\n

\"On<\/p>\n

On set of Stacey’s music video<\/p>\n

In January, sources claimed Stacey was \u201ca tricky character\u201d and that she\u2019d parted ways with entertainment agency YMU after \u201ca number of clashes.\u201d Just a few days later, more damaging allegations surfaced, with insiders alleging Stacey was \u201cruthless when it comes to business\u201d, adding, \u201cAs soon as those cameras turn off, she\u2019s a different person, and one who knows exactly what she wants.\u201d And it\u2019s also been rumoured Stacey is embroiled in a feud with ‘cleanfluencer’ Mrs Hinch \u2013 real name Sophie – with a source claiming she \u201cused\u201d her former friend and bridesmaid for brand deals then \u201cdropped\u201d her overnight.<\/p>\n

But I believe these claims couldn\u2019t be further from the truth. The Stacey I know is down to earth, generous and has worked so hard to get to where she is today \u2013 and her family will always come first. In December, it was confirmed she\u2019d put filming for her reality show on hold \u2013 despite pulling in impressive ratings. While industry insiders might find the decision odd, Stacey has wanted to protect her loved ones for as long as I remember.<\/p>\n

When Stacey Solomon auditioned for the X Factor back in 2009, she said her dream was to be able to support her family in ways she could never imagine. Holding her baby Zachary, Stacey \u2013 aged just 19 at the time and a single mum \u2013 told host Dermot O\u2019Leary they meant \u201ceverything\u201d to her.<\/p>\n

\"Stacey<\/p>\n

Stacey auditioning for the The X Factor back in 2009(Image: Ken McKay)<\/p>\n

\"Stacey<\/p>\n

Stacey with her sons Zachary and Leighton(Image: PinPep\/Tom Nicholson)<\/p>\n

Fast-forward 16 years, and her dream has very much become a reality \u2013 now a mum of five, Stacey has graced the panel of Loose Women, landed her own award-winning TV show, Sort Your Life Out, and a reality show on the BBC documenting family life with Joe Swash and their kids.<\/p>\n

Some of her brand deals include clothing and home wear ranges at Asda and Primark, jewellery line Abbott Lynn and a partnership deal with haircare brand REHAB. Her success has allowed her to build the life she\u2019s always wanted, and notably, live in her dream home, Pickle Cottage – a \u00a31.2million five-bedroom Essex property purchased in her name \u2013 with her family.<\/p>\n

In 2014, I was tasked with approaching Stacey at a press event at Thorpe Park in Surrey \u2013 she had just split from Leighton\u2019s dad, Aaron Barham. Understandably, Stacey, who was joined by Leighton and Zachary at the event, didn’t want to answer my questions. Shielding her sons from the media was priority. But she was polite, and a few days later, her agent at the time reached out to see if I\u2019d be interested in going behind-the-scenes on the making of a music video for her debut album. This was still two years before Stacey landed a hosting gig on I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! Extra Camp. On set, she was nervous and self-critical \u2013 she clearly wasn\u2019t used to being the centre of attention.<\/p>\n

\"Stacey<\/p>\n

Stacey and Joe tied the knot in 2022<\/p>\n

Over the next few years, I got to know Stacey on a more personal level \u2013 we\u2019d regularly exchange text messages and in 2015, I attended the launch of her new fictional book, Walk on By. After the event I was invited along to dinner with her family, and we ended up in a central London karaoke spot until the early hours.<\/p>\n

In 2016, we went for a mid-week dinner at a vegan restaurant in Shoreditch. She turned up with a bag full of Bobbi Brown make up \u2013 she\u2019d been gifted the products at an event and wanted me to have them. Soon after that dinner, Stacey jetted off to Australia to film for I\u2019m A Celeb. Before she left, I told her she didn\u2019t need to be nervous and to \u201cnever change\u201d – it was why the public loved her so much.<\/p>\n

I also left the UK for the best part of three years. During that time, we lost touch \u2013 but I remember finding out the moment she landed a regular gig on Loose Women in 2019 and feeling elated for her. After years of trying to move away from being solely known as \u2018Stacey from X Factor\u2019, this was her big break.<\/p>\n

\"She<\/p>\n

She fronts her own show Sort Your Life Out(Image: BBC)<\/p>\n

When she and Joe went official, I was rooting for them \u2013 I’d interviewed Stacey several times about her love life. All she wanted was a fairytale ending after things didn\u2019t work out with Zachary and Leighton\u2019s dads. After splitting from Jackass star Steve-O \u2013 they dated in 2015 after meeting on The Jump, but he then ghosted her \u2013 Stacey was all but ready to give up on finding love. But she and Joe seemed like they were made for each other, and looking at pictures of their wedding day reminded me of the feeling you get watching an old friend from your past finally get the happily ever after they\u2019d always wanted.<\/p>\n

Stacey has never courted publicity \u2013 she\u2019d rather stay at home with her children than attend a red carpet event. In fact, Stacey preferred to \u201chold the fort\u201d than attend the TV Choice Awards on Monday night \u2013 with Joe going along with his stepson Zachary instead.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s little doubt that the central character in her 2015 book, Walk on By, is a reflection of herself. The plot\u2019s central character, Charlotte, \u201csings with the voice of an angel\u201d and becomes an “overnight sensation” – but soon realises that \u201cpeople living the life of celebrity aren\u2019t all she imagined them to be and neither is her life\u201d. Charlotte \u201cbattles against the crazy life she\u2019s thrust into, desperately trying to swim to the surface.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over the years, Stacey has been open about her battle with anxiety and the \u201cgut-wrenching” mum guilt that comes with her busy work schedule. But over recent weeks she\u2019s made it clear that this new chapter of her life \u2013 both on a professional and personal level \u2013 is about recognising what\u2019s important. As she rung in 2026, she said she was looking forward to \u201ca fresh year, ready for some changes”. No one deserves it more than my former friend, and with her personality and resilience, I\u2019m confident she\u2019ll bounce back.<\/p>\n

* Follow Mirror Celebs on Snapchat<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, Facebook<\/a>, YouTube<\/a> and Threads<\/a>.<\/p>\n