Home Entertainment The incredible rise of Stacey Solomon: How she went from a humble barmaid and chip shop worker to millionaire TV star (and even Reese Witherspoon wants to work with her!)

The incredible rise of Stacey Solomon: How she went from a humble barmaid and chip shop worker to millionaire TV star (and even Reese Witherspoon wants to work with her!)

by Merry
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Stacey Solomon has enjoyed an incredible rise to fame from her days on The X Factor to becoming a DIY guru (pictured National Television Awards 2023)

She first found fame back in 2009 as a 19-year-old contestant on The X Factor.

And Stacey Solomon has come a long way since her days vying for pop stardom on the ITV talent show.

In the years that followed, the media personality, 34, reinvented herself as a TV host and DIY guru with legions of devoted fans.

The Dagenham native has landed one of her biggest gigs to date as she fronts new series Renovation Rescue, produced by Hollywood A-lister Reese Witherspoon.

As her career reaches new heights, MailOnline takes a look back at Stacey’s incredible rise to fame.

Stacey Solomon has enjoyed an incredible rise to fame from her days on The X Factor to becoming a DIY guru (pictured National Television Awards 2023)

Stacey Solomon has enjoyed an incredible rise to fame from her days on The X Factor to becoming a DIY guru (pictured National Television Awards 2023)

Before auditioning for The X Factor, Stacey lived a normal life in Dagenham, London.

The second of three children, her parents David and Fiona divorced when she was nine and her father remarried and had her younger half-brother Josh.

Stacey, who was raised Jewish, previously spoke about her faith to Heart Radio: ‘My family practiced our faith in a relaxed way.

‘My mother Fiona was brought up as a Christian; her father was a priest. But she fell in love with my father David and converted to Judaism to be with him.

‘Growing up, the influence Judaism had on me was an overwhelming understanding of loving those around you, caring for others as if they were part of your family and striving to be the best individual you can be.

‘For the majority of my life, my experiences have been positive. I went to a Christian primary school where I felt included and no different from my peers.’

In her teenage years she worked as a barmaid and at a Hornchurch chip shop called Oh My Cod.

Stacey discovered she was pregnant with her eldest son Zachary, 16, while attending college with her then-boyfriend Dean Cox.

Stacey first found fame in 2009 as a 19-year-old contestant on The X Factor in 2009

Stacey first found fame in 2009 as a 19-year-old contestant on The X Factor in 2009

Stacey first found fame in 2009 as a 19-year-old contestant on The X Factor in 2009

She forged a TV career soon after, winning I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! in 2010

She forged a TV career soon after, winning I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! in 2010

She forged a TV career soon after, winning I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in 2010

More television work followed before she became a regular panelist on ITV's Loose Women in 2016

More television work followed before she became a regular panelist on ITV's Loose Women in 2016

More television work followed before she became a regular panelist on ITV’s Loose Women in 2016

In the coming years, she would welcome Leighton with her ex-fiancé Aaron Barnham, 11, and Rex, four, Rose, two, and one-year-old Belle with her husband Joe Swash.

After coming third on The X Factor, Stacey decided to focus on TV rather than music and won I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in 2010.

Over the next few years she became a familiar face on the small screen with appearances on Celebrity Juice, A League Of Their Own and Through The Keyhole.

She secured one of her biggest gigs to date when she became a panelist on Loose Women in 2016.

The star also began building her social media presence and quickly became known for her cleaning and DIY hacks.

Stacey’s huge fan base saw her publish her book Tap to Tidy: Organising, Crafting & Creating Happiness in a Messy World in 2021 and host the BBC show Sort Your Life Out.

Stacey has also gone into business. In September, she shared the exciting news that she has become a co-owner of independent haircare brand REHAB in her first ever investment.

She took to Instagram to share the news with her followers, describing the business move as a ‘huge moment’ in her life.

Stacey is mum to Rex, four, Rose, two, and one-year-old Belle with husband Joe Swash, as well as Zachary, 16, and Leighton, 11, from previous relationships

Stacey is mum to Rex, four, Rose, two, and one-year-old Belle with husband Joe Swash, as well as Zachary, 16, and Leighton, 11, from previous relationships

Stacey is mum to Rex, four, Rose, two, and one-year-old Belle with husband Joe Swash, as well as Zachary, 16, and Leighton, 11, from previous relationships

The singer has also published books and hosts a Channel 4 home improvement show

The singer has also published books and hosts a Channel 4 home improvement show

The singer has also published books and hosts a Channel 4 home improvement show

She married her EastEnders star husband Joe Swash, 41, last June and they live in a £1.2m Essex home.

She married her EastEnders star husband Joe Swash, 41, last June and they live in a £1.2m Essex home.

She married her EastEnders star husband Joe Swash, 41, last June and they live in a £1.2m Essex home.

It was the first time Stacey has ever invested her own money in a business during her career, with Stacey sharing how it was always a dream of hers to do so.

She has also released collections with In The Style and entered into a huge collaboration with jewelery and accessories company Abbott Lyon.

Building on her success, Hollywood has come calling for Stacey as she presents the new DIY series Renovation Rescue, which comes to the aid of those left by builders with their unfinished homes in ruins.

The show is the first UK commission from Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine company, with the film star serving as executive producer.

“Oh my God, what an amazing feeling to be asked,” Stacey told Weekend Magazine.

‘I really thought, ‘How does she even know me?’ I still to this day don’t know how they found me. They just said they wanted me.

“Maybe some of her researchers and her team had seen the show. Well, they would have had to know something about me.”

Stacey added: “I haven’t actually met (Reese). She wrote a message to say how excited she is and we’re hoping to FaceTime her the day the show comes out.’

Hollywood is now after Stacey as she will present the new DIY series Renovation Rescue, executive produced by Reese Witherspoon (pictured)

Hollywood is now after Stacey as she will present the new DIY series Renovation Rescue, executive produced by Reese Witherspoon (pictured)

Hollywood is now after Stacey as she will present the new DIY series Renovation Rescue, executive produced by Reese Witherspoon (pictured)

Speaking about the new show, Stacey said: 'I really thought, 'How does she even know me?' I still to this day don't know how they found me. They just said they wanted me'

Speaking about the new show, Stacey said: 'I really thought, 'How does she even know me?' I still to this day don't know how they found me. They just said they wanted me'

Speaking about the new show, Stacey said: ‘I really thought, ‘How does she even know me?’ I still to this day don’t know how they found me. They just said they wanted me’

Stacey’s hard work has paid off. She now has £4.3m. in cash and assets for the year to the end of June 2023 – up from £2.9m in 2022.

Annual accounts for her company Key Map Entertainments Ltd, filed this month – according to the Mirror – show she added an £800,000 investment to the package, taking its value to £2.2m. pound.

Stacey runs a company to receive money from her television work, advertising tie-ins and media appearances.

Records at Companies House show her Key Map Entertainments Limited was valued at £1,373,245. In 2019, the company was worth £888,763.

She is now poised to make even more money after setting up a cosmetics company called Belle & Rose – named after two of her five children.

Renovation Rescue will be shown on Channel 4 in early April.

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