Stacey reveals pact with ex

Stacey Solomon reunites with her former boyfriend for her eldest son's birthday and shares what goes into creating a happy blended family

- Lauren Morris

Stacey Solomon may look like an expert when it comes to managing a family of eight, but co-parenting with an ex can be much harder than it looks.

The 35-year-old has Rex, six, Rose, three, and two-year-old Belle with her husband Joe Swash, however she’s also mum to teenage boys Zach, 17, and Leighton, 13, from previous relationships and a stepmum to Joe's 18-year-old son Harry.

Now, in the latest episode of her BBC One reality series Stacey & Joe, viewers will watch as she reunites with Zach's dad Dean Cox for their son's 17th birthday.

The childhood sweethearts welcomed Zach back in 2008, when Stacey was just 18 and Dean was 20. But it's clear she has made a pact with her ex to co-parent their son amicably.

"In this scenario, it's all about the child," says Stacey. "It's better for them that they have two families that absolutely love the bones of them than to be fighting over them. That must be horrible."