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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Entertainment
Jessica Sansome

Stacey Solomon's Sort Your Life Out leaves viewers in tears after backlash resulted in official complaints

Stacey Solomon left viewers of Sort Your Life Out emotional as she helped a new family get their home in order. The TV star has been back fronting her BBC One show for a number of weeks and during the latest instalment on Wednesday night (February 22), Stacey and her team were helping a grieving family combine two households' worth of belongings into a new family home.

The show sees the 33-year-old, who announced the arrival of her third child with her husband Joe Swash just a couple of weeks ago, travel across the country with her team - made up of organiser Dilly Carter, carpenter Rob Bent and cleaner Iwan Carrington - to help different families transform their homes by getting rid of stuff they no longer need and helping them save space and money.

During the new episode, viewers were introduced to the Smith family, made up of mum and dad, Raaj and Roydel, their son Ajay as well as their three nieces and nephews. Raaj and Raydel moved into her sister's former home to take care of her children after she tragically passed away from Covid in 2020.

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As Stacey and her team got to work, Stacey was at one point seen comforting Raaj as she opened up about her loss. "Coming into this house without my sister felt painful," she said. "But I instantly felt like I needed to look after these kids and fulfil what my sister wanted for them."

In another moment, Raaj is heard telling Stacey: "I feel like if It takes those things away, then those memories will be lost, and I live for these memories because it makes me feel happy and connected to my sister." Stacey then asked the heartbroken mum and aunt: "Are you okay?" as she became teary-eyed and pulled her into a hug.

And the transformation for the new blended family left Sort Your Life viewers 'in bits'. @FunnyClareWare tweeted: "I’m in bits. It’s heartbreaking to see the tears tonight; I know the pain of letting go after loosing my Dad. What a beautiful family! But Roydel, I’m with ya! Coffee & photography! My joy too bro! #SortYourLifeOut #grief."

Stacey comforted Raaj (BBC/Optomen TV)

@MillieSansoye said: "What a brilliant episode of #SortYourLifeOut. Grief and mourning have many stages. I’m grateful for the Smith family for allowing the cameras to document their journey through it." @seasidedolly2 wrote: "Oh @StaceySolomon that was wonderful! #SortYourLifeOut You touched my heart tonight and I had a good cry. What a wonderful human you are. Beautiful. That dear family!"

@nicolakeverett posted: "Just something in my eye that’s all - #SortYourLifeOut is wonderful @StaceySolomon." @chuckles33 added: "Bit late catching up, but what a lovely family on #sortyourlifeout tonight. @StaceySolomon & her team were so sensitive to the situation. Hopefully the family can start to move forward now."

It comes after Stacey and the show were slapped with complaints from viewers. More than 1,000 people issued official complaints to the BBC following a recent episode. In the episode, which aired at the beginning of this month, the family being helped had been keeping their pet rabbits in their conservatory and one of the first items of business for Stacey and her team was to create a space outside for them to roam.

Stacey with Ajay, Raaj, Simran, Harjoth, Roydel, and Gurkeerat (BBC/Optomen TV)

However, when the pets' new hutch was revealed at the end of the episode, many Sort Your Life Out viewers were quick to share their anger at what some labelled a 'completely unsuitable hutch'. The Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund posted that it was ‘unbelievable’, and directed people to complain to the BBC directly.

The broadcaster later confirmed that it had received 1,502 complaints from viewers. The BBC addressed complaints, explaining that the rabbits lived outside and "acclimatised" to the garden.

"The family's pet rabbits usually live outside and were only living indoors for a short period of time after being neutered," the BBC's statement read. "They are therefore acclimatised to living in the garden. "The rabbits have full access to a wide, enclosed garden to roam around in, with the hutch being a place to come and go as they please during the day, as well as a safe and secure space for them to sleep in at night."

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