Stacey Solomon surprised viewers on Tuesday night when her rarely-seen ex — and the father of her eldest son Zachary — appeared on her BBC family reality series Stacey & Joe for the very first time.
The 35-year-old presenter, who has always kept details about her sons’ fathers private apart from casually mentioning the boys are “with their dad this weekend,” decided to introduce fans to her childhood sweetheart Dean, opening up about becoming a teenage mum at just 17.
In the latest episode, Dean arrived at Pickle Cottage with his wife Nikki to celebrate Zach’s 17th birthday. The teenager looked thrilled as he hugged his dad, who joked in disbelief:
“Can’t believe you’re 17!”
As the blended family sat down to fish and chips, step-dad Joe Swash raised a toast:
“Cheers to Zachy — happy birthday. Is it weird saying he’s 17?”
Nikki laughed that people are always shocked when they find out Dean has a 17-year-old son.
“When we tell people, they go, ‘What?!’”
Stacey chimed in, asking Dean how old he was when Zach was born.
“I was 20,” he replied.
“Oh, I was 17,” Stacey added
When Nikki asked Zach whether he could imagine having a baby now, Dean quickly begged:
“Please don’t, please don’t.”
Reflecting on how they’ve navigated co-parenting, Stacey smiled:
“We’ve done alright.”
Dean agreed: “We’ve smashed it with you.”
Speaking after the dinner, Zach revealed he sees his dad every two to three weeks and said:
“That was amazing — when you’re with your family, it’s just amazing.”
Later, Stacey told husband Joe that having two loving families is far better than constant conflict:
“It’s better for them to have two families that love the bones off them than be fighting over them.”
During the episode, Stacey also revisited the moment she discovered she was pregnant as a teenager — revealing it was her step-mum who first guessed.
“We were in a café with my dad and I suddenly said, ‘Oh my God, your onions stink,’ even though he hadn’t eaten any. Someone else in the café had onions,” she laughed.
“She pulled me aside and asked when my last period was. Then she made me tell my dad straight away — and he made me ring my mum. Everyone in the house was there to hear the fallout.”
Stacey later scrolled through old baby photos of Zach on her phone, including snaps where she looked almost unrecognisable with then-boyfriend Dean.
The TV star went on to welcome her second son Leighton in 2012 with ex-fiancé Aaron Barham, before splitting in 2014. She now shares Rex, five, Rose, three, and Belle, two, with husband Joe.
The episode was filmed back in March, when Zach actually turned 17. At the time, Stacey posted a heartfelt Instagram tribute.
“17 today. 17 years of you, Zach,” she wrote.
“It’s strange to think that when I was your age, you were in my tummy. Every year you grow into the most amazing human. The last 17 years have been the best of my life.
“It hasn’t always been easy, but growing up with you made me who I am. Having you by my side since I was your age is the biggest blessing I could ever have wished for. To the moon and back, Zach.”
