Stacey Solomon and I’m A Celeb star Joe Swash in desperate battle with council over £1.3m Pickle Cottage
I’M A Celebrity’s Joe Swash and wife Stacey Solomon are fighting a secret battle to extend Pickle Cottage.
The couple are desperate to create more space to fit their huge brood since welcoming baby Belle in February.
But their local council has now rejected their proposal for a single-storey extension for a second time over concerns about modifying the listed 16th century property.
The £1.3m home dates back to 1500 and includes all sorts of historic trinkets.
Planning documents suggest the couple have two stone lions on their front steps which are said to be from the Houses of Parliament.
They also have a stained glass window, iron gate, carved door, flagstone floor, and marble sills which originate from Chelmsford Cathedral.
And they have a decorative barn from the 16th century which was shipped in from Normandy.
Pickle Cottage is famed among Stacey’s fans for her painstaking makeovers and ‘tap to tidy’ videos.
Documents show the family first applied for the extension in February 2022, which was rejected.
Their subsequent appeal was also thrown out five weeks ago.
The arrival of little Belle means that Stacey and Joe, who is currently on screens as part of I’m A Celebrity…South Africa, now have six kids between them.
Joe has son Harry, 15, while Stacey is mum to Zach, 14, and Leighton ten, both from previous relationships.
Together they have Rex, three, 16-month-old Rose and the newborn, plus dogs Teddy and Peanut.
Stacey previously commented on the chaos: “For Joe and I, our favourite thing is to be parents. It’s not everyone’s favourite thing and that’s fine – but it’s ours.”
It comes as Joe has gushed about his family during his time in Kruger National Park.
On tonight’s show, he sobs: “It’s just overwhelming innit.
“The whole thing’s overwhelming, the hunger, the tiredness, being away from your family.
“I’m obviously stressing out about the kids not seeing them, missing them, so I think they are getting into my sleep a bit now.”
He added: “It just brings it all to the surface,” before letting out a big sigh.