Celebrity MasterChef star Joe Swash on This Morning
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Celebrity MasterChef: Joe Swash’s ‘trauma’ of losing his dad hit him after birth of son

Joe lost his dad when he was 11

Celebrity MasterChef star Joe Swash lost his dad when he was a child and that “trauma” has stayed with him during his adult life.

Joe’s partner Stacey Solomon previously revealed that he struggled following the birth of their son Rex, now two, in 2019.

When Joe was 11, his dad died from the undiagnosed heart condition Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome.

Joe – who appears on Celebrity MasterChef tonight – previously said he had to call an ambulance for his dad when he suffered a heart attack.

Celebrity MasterChef star Joe Swash on the red carpet
Joe lost his dad when he was 11 (Credit: Andy Barnes / Flynet – SplashNews / SplashNews.com)

Celebrity MasterChef star Joe Swash’s trauma of losing dad

In 2019, Stacey explained how Joe had struggled with trauma when they had son Rex.

Read more: Joe Swash’s tough journey to have relationship with eldest son Harry he wanted

She explained on Loose Women during a segment about grief: “It is a trauma and I am always surprised that people are surprised that you grieve forever.

“Joe lost his dad when he was 11 and it has had a fundamental impact on his life, especially when huge life events happen – even if they’re really positive.

Joe Swash on Celebrity Masterchef
Joe is on Celebrity MasterChef (Credit: BBC/Shine TV)

“When we had Rex, it was a trauma. At the same time as being the most wonderful thing in the world.”

She added at the time: “He never got to show his dad his son, and he’ll never get that chance and he thought about that a lot.

“It really impacted, and I think still impacts, his life.”

Meanwhile, Joe previously spoke about losing his dad when he was so young.

Joe told the Express in 2015: “My dad was on the bed and mum was shaking him. He was alive but struggling to breathe. I went into a panic but managed to ring for an ambulance.

Celebrity MasterChef star Joe Swash with Stacey Solomon on the red carpet
Stacey said Joe suffered “trauma” because of his dad’s death (Credit: Sue Andrews / SplashNews.com)

“I ran outside and screamed for a neighbour to help, then I was whisked away.”

Around two hours later, Joe was told his dad had died in hospital.

Read more: Joe Swash reveals Stacey Solomon’s strange pregnancy cravings that make his ‘stomach churn’

He added: “It was so traumatic because he seemed really healthy. He was slim and ran three times a week. He’d done a half marathon.”

Joe is now a father himself to sons Harry, 14, and Rex. He’s also a step-dad to Stacey’s boys, Zachary and Leighton.

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Rebecca Carter
Associate Editor (News)