The star is said to be struggling to cope with an online backlash after she was seen lighting up in the park during a family outing
Eve Macdonald
Stacey Solomon has ignited a heated debate among her fans after being spotted smoking a cigarette during a family day out with her husband and three youngest children.
The Sort Your Life Out star was photographed on her own, taking a moment to herself, while her husband Joe Swash watched their son Rex, four, and daughters Rose, two, and one-year-old Belle play together.
But when Stacey, who showed off her gym-honed figure in a pair of black cycling shorts, a grey hoodie and a padded jacket with a fur-lined hood, was pictured puffing on a cigarette during the park outing in north London, many questioned her unhealthy habit.
One wrote, “Didn’t think she was a smoker,” while another added, “What a foul habit.”
A third commented, “Surprised that she smokes – she is health-conscious and environmentally friendly online.”
However, a source has told
new that the former I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!winner is said to be struggling with the backlash online and is finding it rather tough to deal with.
“Stacey is a sensitive person and she will be upset if anyone is thinking of her in a negative way,” they claimed. “She’s had a lot of stick in the past about smoking and she finds it difficult. The comments can be hurtful.”
But many fans defended Stacey, saying that, like lots of people, she uses smoking as a way to relax and unwind.
One said, “Can everyone stop judging? It’s really hard to stop,” while another posted, “Give the girl a break. It’s her choice and nobody else’s business.”
Despite people rallying round to support her, Stacey is reportedly upset, as she has been honest in the past about her struggles to stop smoking, according to our source.
“She has been open about how hard she finds it to quit, but she’s being pulled in so many directions at the moment. It’s just something she’s using as a release. Stacey is only human at the end of the day,” the source said.
“She’s not doing anything wrong and is using it as a vice to de-stress, but she’ll be worried about what people think of her.”
While Stacey, 34, doesn’t talk publicly about her habit specifically, the Loose Womenpanellist has explained that she “tried [her] best to give up” and even considered hypnotherapy at one point in a bid to stop.
