‘Our little girl can be at our wedding now'

Celebrity MasterChef contestant Joe Swash opens up about his cooking skills, and why it was the right decision for him and fiancée Stacey Solomon to postpone their big day

- RIANNE ISON

Joe Swash has a pretty good track record when it comes to entertainment shows. Not only was he crowned king of the jungle back in 2008, he also skated to victory on 2020’s Dancing On Ice.

Now he’s hoping to continue his winning streak in the Celebrity MasterChef kitchen. Joe, 39, will be putting his culinary skills to the test against a starry line-up that includes reality queen Katie Price.

Luckily for Joe, he has plenty of experience when it comes to dishing up dinners, as the TV star reveals he likes cooking family meals for fiancée Stacey Solomon and their brood – son Rex, two, Joe’s son Harry, 14, and Stacey’s boys Zachary, 13, and Leighton, nine.

Joe tells us, “The reason I wanted to take part was because I’ve got four kids, one on the way, and I quite enjoy cooking. It’s that thing of feeding people, I get so much from it.”

And, as Joe points out, life is about to get even more hectic at home. That’s because Joe and Loose Women panellist Stacey, 31, who recently put their wedding on hold, are set to welcome a baby girl very soon.

Here, the cheeky chappy tells us all about taking part in the series, why he and Stacey want their daughter to be part of their big day and how an EastEnders comeback could be on the cards...

Hi Joe. So what made you want to sign up to Celebrity MasterChef?