Tonight’s episode of Stacey & Joe draws us further into the world of Essex’s most famous couple – and this time it’s all about Zach. The second instalment of their BBC1 reality series about family life at Pickle Cottage, will give viewers further insight into the home life of Stacey Solomon and her husband Joe Swash.
Episode one saw the famous couple celebrate their second wedding anniversary and showed us how the pair parent their blended family. A key part of the first show saw Stacey’s eldest son Zach as she struggled to get him to do his household chores. At one point he even told Stacey, “You’re a pain in my arse,” as she tried to make him complete his chores.
On tonight’s show viewers will see more of Zach as Stacey comforts him about his exam results. The teen is hoping to get the GCSE results he needs so he can take the next steps into his career, but it doesn’t all seem to go to plan.
Stacey explains on the show: “If Zach passes his maths and English, he gets to go straight into the apprenticeship he wants to do. But if he doesn’t pass, he can only do his apprenticeship so many days a week, and he has to do his maths and English the rest of the time.”
When it comes to the big day, Zach’s stepdad and Stacey’s husband of two years, Joe Swash, asks him if he’s excited to get the long-awaited results. Zach replies: “No. Why would I be excited?”
Opening up about his experience with secondary school, he says: “I don’t like how the school system works; I don’t think it was for me. I revised for like six months. My memory is not very good with these types of things.
“There is no point being nervous, I can’t change anything. I just want to pass maths and English so I can get an apprenticeship, that’s about it.”
Viewers get to see the moment when Zach’s GCSE results come through, and Stacey asks her son whether it’s something he wants to find out alone and away from the cameras. After being met with nerves and silence, Stacey joins her son to see what his future holds.
Looking at the results, Stacey says to Zach: “You got a three in English literature, that’s good! Well, you were close. Are you disappointed?
She continues: “Well I think you did your absolute best, and it didn’t work out. I personally don’t believe these results reflect how intelligent you are. I’m sorry, Zach. I know you have worked really hard. It just means that next year you’ll have to do maths and English again, hopefully pass and then get on with doing what you actually love.”
In an attempt to reassure her eldest son, the reality star explains that her own GCSEs “got her nowhere” and that she has never used them on “one job application”. Later on, Stacey opens up to the camera about the difficulties of parenting a teenager.
The mother of five says: “Being there for a teenager is difficult for any parent. It’s their prerogative to tell you they don’t care and everything is fine, and it’s you as a parent who has to unpick their behaviour and work out if they are ok and if there is any anyway you can be there to support them.
“I think it’s the pressure for kids these days. When I was at school, if you weren’t academic, you were able to leave at 16 and go into a job; there was none of this, ‘If you don’t pass, you can’t start an apprenticeship.’ You were able to go out and get started and get working.”
Stacey gives Zach space to order his emotions after comforting him. She says: “I think it’s important to give Zachary his space to process his exam results. I don’t’ want to overwhelm him. It takes them a while to reflect on their feelings.” While Joe reveals that he also struggled at school and can “relate” to his stepson Zach.
The second episode of Stacey & Joe will air on BBC One tonight at 8pm.
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