EastEnders star Joe Swash 'hates' being called stepdad to Stacey Solomon's older sons
EastEnders actor Joe Swash has admitted he "hates" being called stepdad by wife Stacey Solomon's older children as he discussed fatherhood and dealing with "stroppy" teenagers in his latest interview.
Joe Swash makes appearance on The NetMums Podcast
Joe Swash has shared his thoughts on being a stepdad to his wife Stacey Solomon’s children.
The EastEnders star, 41, and the former X-Factor singer, 33, have six children between them, with a mix of each partner’s separate marriages and three children of their own.
Speaking on The Netmums podcast, Joe was asked how he made their large family dynamic look seamless.
He revealed that, despite how things appear on social media, "everything has challenges, we still have challenges.”
Regarding bringing their family together, he added that “we love having our blended family” but that he didn’t “really like calling it that”.
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The I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! star also spoke about how Stacey’s kids addressed him, admitting: “I hate being called stepdad.
“It don’t feel right with me, it doesn’t sit right with me.” (sic)
The couple began their relationship after meeting in January 2016 on I'm a Celeb.
They were married in a small ceremony in Essex in July 2022 and had their third child Belle in February of this year.
Together they share three children: Rex, three, Rose, one, and new-born daughter Belle.
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Eldest son Harry, 16, is Joe’s only child from ex-fiancé Emma Sophocleous, whilst Zachary, 15 and Leighton, 11 were from Stacey’s relationships with Dean Cox and Aaron Barnham.
Joe shared that, although the older children were not biologically his, he ensured they always felt loved.
“I look after Stacey’s boys no differently to how I look and how I love my own kids, we’re all one big unit," he said.
“I never ever make that distinction… even saying that makes me feel funny,” he emphasised before saying he likes to refer to them as “our kids”.
“As long as the house is full of love and we all love each other the same," he added.
The only potential issue the now father-of-six said he may face was “stroppy” teenagers.
Despite a large household, most recently the star couple enjoyed some alone time together as they travelled to Salzburg in Austria for a friend’s wedding.
Stacey shared with her 5.7 million followers on Instagram: “Mum and Dad. Out alone. In The Actual Sound Of Music House. For Our Friends Wedding.”
The Loose Women star added: “P.S I’m a little tipsy or maybe a lot. Or maybe totally gone. I don’t look like this anymore. Send help.” (sic)
The TV star previously revealed on her social media that she didn’t drink alcohol since she met Joe, having stated: “I genuinely don't like the taste of it. I think most of it tastes like nail varnish remover.”