Joe Swash has taken a trip down memory lane to the first time he knew that Stacey Solomon was ‘the one’ for him.
Showbiz’s most bubbly couple first laid eyes on one another after Stacey, 31, was crowned Queen of the Jungle in 2010 – just two years after Joe won the show.
Former EastEnders star Joe, 39, was presenting the spin-off show at the time, and although Stacey was in a relationship at the time, he couldn’t help but ‘fancy’ the queen of the jungle.
Despite the bad timing, Joe and Stacey were reunited on I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! Now! a year later and sparks immediately flew between the pair.
In an exclusive interview with The Mirror, Joe recalled ‘really missing’ Stacey when she went back to the UK after they spent an amazing week together Down Under.
The TV personality quickly realised that their time together was the equivalent of a ‘week-long date’ where they laughed and joked around non-stop and where the conversation just flooded.
It was after this week that Joe knew Stacey was the one for him, and the pair have gone from strength-to-strength ever since.
Lifting the lid on the beginning of their unique love story, Joe told The Mirror: “I met Stacey for the first time when we were doing the spin-off show for, I’m A Celebrity.
“Stacey had come out as a guest for a week and I suppose we had like a week-long date.
“We just spent all our time together, like every single spare second we had we were around one another. So, when she went home, we both realised very quickly how much we missed each other,” Joe recalled.
The loved-up star continued: “I met her in Australia seven, nearly eight years ago and sparks just flew to be honest. We got one so well and we believed in the same things and wanted the same things in life.
“We both found each other funny and here we are now. We both have a lot to thank I’m A Celebrity for when I think about it.
"She was the one."
It's clear that Stacey really was 'the one' for Joe as the pair are preparing to welcome their second child together in just a matter of weeks.
Over the past two years, the lovebirds have smashed milestone after milestone as they bought their forever home, Joe got down on one knee and popped the question, and they welcomed their first child together - their adorable one-year-old son, Rex.
Now Loose Women star, Stacey, 31, is expecting the couple's second baby - a little girl - and Joe couldn't be more delighted about.
"It was a magical moment in my life when I found out we were having a little girl," he told The Mirror.
"Me and Stacey have both experienced having children before we met each other and to share the experience of having our first girl together is just so exciting. I don't even have the words," Joe gushed.
Joe is also a proud step-dad to Stacey's other boys, Zachary, 12, and Leighton, 9.
The former soap star is also dad to his 13-year-old son Harry, who he shares with his ex Emma Sophocleous.
After being surrounded by boys for the past 13 years, Joe is now excited to become a dad to a little girl - and he's already been practicing some hairstyles.
"I've been busy practising doing hair braiding and different hairstyles for her," the doting dad shared.
"We're so used to having boys. It's going to be a total gear change from having boys and wanting to wrestle and fight you all the time. Our house is going to be a little bit calmer hopefully with a little girl.
"The boys are beyond excited about having a little sister finally. She's going to be so well looked after. She's going to have four big brothers that are going to be doting on her."
It comes as Joe has teamed up with Nutella to launch its first ever ‘Happy Portion’ van, which will be touring the UK and spreading happiness with breakfasts topped with a delicious touch (one heaped teaspoon, 15g) of Nutella.
The van will visit Boxpark Shoreditch, Birmingham Bullring, Manchester Spinningfields, Leeds Victoria and Chester Zoo.
To find out more about Nutella on Tour, visit official Nutella Instagram channel at @nutellauk.
