Life couldn't be better for Joe Swash at the moment. The 38-year-old is skating up a storm on Dancing on Ice, and enjoys a happy home life with girlfriend Stacey Solomon. But things haven't always been that easy for the star. The former EastEnders actor has been made bankrupt twice in his life, in both 2009 and 2013. And two years ago he spoke candidly about the experience, to warn others of the dangers of overspending. Joe told the Mirror that he had been irresponsible with his money. "I was chucking it away on stuff I didn't need. I went out every night and had a house with a mortgage," he said. "When you are young you just don't think it is ever going to end. I thought I was going to be on EastEnders for years and years."
Joe Swash has been dating Stacey Solomon since 2015
Issues arose when Joe contracted viral meningitis, which kept him off work for a year. "I fell behind on tax and bills and buried my head in the sand, which was the worst thing to do. I should have faced up to it." He added: "The second time it happened when I was on TV and I felt embarrassed and wondered how I managed to get myself into that situation. But it can happen to anybody."
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Joe has been happily dating Loose Women star Stacey since 2015, and in May 2019 they welcomed their first child together, baby Rex. Joe is also a father to a 12-year-old son Harry from his previous relationship, while Stacey also has two sons, Zachary, 11, and seven-year-old Leighton. Last month, Stacey, 30, was asked whether the pair would have any more children together. "We get asked this question a lot," she explained. "I never say never to anything but definitely not at the moment. We've got four children and feel really lucky to have them. But it's a lot, that's enough I think."
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