Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash have opened the doors of their family home in their new BBC reality series — but not all viewers are rolling out the welcome mat.

In a bid to bare the 'highs and lows' of their relationship, the new programme titled Stacey & Joe premiered on Tuesday evening and will see a total of six episodes

The new show, Stacey & Joe: This Is Us, premiered Tuesday night and promises to reveal the real highs and lows of their relationship. The six-part series gives a behind-the-scenes look into their lives at Pickle Cottage, their beloved Essex home, often described as the UK’s answer to the Kardashians.

Together, Stacey, 35, and Joe, 42, share three children: Rex, 5, Rose, 3, and Belle, 2. Stacey also has two sons — Zachary, 17, and Leighton, 12 — from previous relationships, while Joe has a teenage son, Harry, 16, with his former partner.

Speaking to OK! ahead of their show, Stacey and Joe revealed viewers will get to witness them arguing on camera

Despite the family’s charm, the show has sparked backlash from some BBC viewers who branded it “utter trash” and accused the broadcaster of squandering public money.

One unimpressed viewer posted on X (formerly Twitter): “Just looked on BBC One and there’s a ‘reality’ show called Stacey & Joe. Why are people so obsessed with watching utter crap like this?”
Another slammed: “Stacey & Joe. FFS @BBCOne stop wasting our licence fee.”

A third chimed in: “Why on earth is @BBCOne commissioning this absolute trash? What a colossal waste of public money.”

Someone else complained: “I love Sort Your Life Out and I like Stacey Solomon. Joe Swash… meh. I wasn’t going to watch #staceyandjoe, but I gave it a try. No, no, and absolutely no. Seeing Swash spreading butter on toast with a spoon was more than I could bear. Switched off.”

According to the Express, one viewer fumed: “I’m sorry but who the **** signed this off? #StaceyAndJoe.”

But not everyone was outraged. Some fans took to social media to defend the duo, with one calling them the “new Essex Kardashians” and writing: “Absolutely loved Stacey & Joe! Loved every minute!”
Another gushed: “Everything about Stacey & Joe is just making me smile. They seem like the loveliest family.”

A third added: “Pickle Cottage is beautiful, bet it looks stunning in every season.”

Ahead of the premiere, Stacey and Joe spoke to OK! magazine and revealed that audiences would get to see the raw, unfiltered moments of their relationship — including their arguments. In one episode, Stacey is visibly upset after Joe fails to show up to a crucial work meeting, opting instead to go fishing with his friends and returning five hours late.

Despite pleading with him not to let her down, Stacey is left juggling the kids and a major work commitment alone.

The couple admitted that instead of editing out the tension, they chose to show everything. Joe said: “So many people present their lives as perfect on Instagram. We think it’s important to show the real — the highs and the lows. Sometimes we argue.”

Stacey added: “What you see is what you get. We’re not a perfect couple, and we’ve never claimed to be. Watching ourselves back is eye-opening — you learn a lot.”

One episode sees Stacey devastated by Joe not showing up at an important meeting, leaving her juggling caring for the babies while trying to plan the launch of her own perfume

They even said the show has helped their relationship more than traditional therapy. Stacey explained: “There are definitely things in our communication we can improve. I’ll watch myself and think, ‘Did I really need to make that comment?’ There are bigger issues.”

Joe admitted he’s learned he needs to listen more and be less defensive: “Watching the show made me realise how lucky I am to have this amazing family.”

As Stacey & Joe: This Is Us continues to divide audiences, one question remains: Is the BBC’s latest reality experiment a refreshing glimpse into modern family life — or just another example of  TV gone wrong? The comments section is wide open.