Joe Swash’s ex played his sister on EastEnders but split saw him fall for Stacey Solomon
Joe Swash is about to tie the knot to Stacey Solomon, with the pair having first met on the set of I’m a Celebrity in 2010 – with his own stint on the show in 2008 around the time he dated Kara Tointon
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Stacey Solomon says Joe has left wedding prep until the last minute
Joe Swash is about to tie the knot with his fiancée Stacey Solomon, as the couple finally get to walk down the aisle after having postponed their wedding last year.
The actor, 40, has been in a relationship with Stacey, 32, since around 2016, having met years earlier when they were involved with the series of I’m a Celebrity in 2010.
Stacey was crowned the winner of the show that year, with Joe having presented spin-off Extra Camp – after having been declared King of the Jungle himself back in 2008.
It was around the time of Joe’s stint as a campmate that he was first romantically linked to his former co-star Kara Tointon, now 38 – who he’d worked with on EastEnders.
Kara Tointon and Joe Swash had dated from around 2008 to 2010
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( PA)
Joe is said to have later taken responsibility for the break-up
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( Getty Images)
Joe played Mickey Miller on the BBC show from 2003 until 2008, with Kara having joined the soap opera as his on-screen sister Dawn Swann in 2005.
They’re understood to have started dating in 2008, around the time of his departure from EastEnders – with the relationship teased during his time on I’m a Celebrity.
He reportedly later told Now magazine that he was “punching well above” his weight dating Kara, and added: “It’s going really well. She’s beautiful and we get on great.”
The pair had played siblings on EastEnders
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( BBC)
Kara herself suggested during the relationship that she would consider marrying Joe in the future, with her even posing the possibility of having children together.
Although no longer co-stars on-screen, they appeared alongside each other in a production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at Bristol’s Hippodrome in 2009.
There however was said to be tension between the couple behind-the-scenes, with rumours of arguments, though Kara dismissed them saying: “We’re very happy together.”
Kara had considered a future with Joe
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( PA)
There were rumours of tension though when they appeared together in a panto production
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( Ambassadors Theatre Group)
She had further commented at the time, in response to the speculation: “Everything’s going really well, but you’ll have to ask him when we’re getting married.”
It was reported that they had split in 2010 though, with a source stating that both parties were “really upset about it” – citing arguments as being related to the break-up.
The source is quoted as having said of the couple around the time they split: “Their rows were getting too frequent and they knew they couldn’t make it work anymore.”
Kara took part in Strictly in 2010, following reports of her break-up from Joe
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( Getty)
Kara went on to date her dance partner Artem Chigvintsev, whom she won the show with
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( BBC)
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Joe seemed to suggest he was responsible for the break-up, stating: “It was all down to me, and nothing to do with Kara. She genuinely does everything right. It was my fault it broke down. I didn’t know what I had until she was gone.”
Kara appeared on Strictly Come Dancing later that year, partnered with Artem Chigvintsev, now 40 – who she went on to date, before their own relationship ended in 2014.
Joe reportedly said it “hurt” to read about Kara and Artem dating, with him adding he wanted to support her on Strictly but he “knew it was going to rip [his] heart out.”
She’s now engaged to Marius Jensen, with whom she has two children
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( Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images)
Joe is in a relationship with Stacey Solomon, with whom he has two children
Image:
( Getty Images)
Joe is now in a relationship with Stacey, with whom he has two children. They welcomed their son Rex, now three, in 2019 and 9- month-old daughter Rose last year.
Kara is engaged to Marius Jensen, with the couple having welcomed their first child Frey, three, in 2018 and their second child, Helly, now one, early last year.
And years after their relationship, Joe and Kara seem to be on good terms, following each other on Instagram. She’s said to have liked a photo of him and Rex at one point.
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