Joe Swash left cringing as tattoo tribute to Stacey Solomon goes disastrously wrong
Ex-Eastenders star Joe Swash permanently inked himself as a romantic gesture for his wife on Valentine's Day, but Stacey Solomon was left unimpressed.
17 September 2025, 17:00
Ex-Eastenders star Joe Swash permanently inked himself as a romantic gesture for his wife on Valentine's Day, but Stacey Solomon was left unimpressed.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
Joe Swash was left cringing with embarrassment after his latest tattoo paying tribute to Stacey Solomon went horribly wrong.
The ex-Eastenders actor, 43, decided to permanently ink himself as a gift to his wife on Valentine's Day and planned to surprise her with it on holiday.
But the intricate line drawing took on a totally different form when he put his wedding band back on, sparking a hilarious response from his entire extended family.
In the tattoo parlour before the mini break, actor Joe decided on a personal design featuring a heart and the initial 'S' for his ring finger.
He thought it would perfectly symbolise his love for the telly star, 35, and was sure she would be thrilled with the romantic gesture – until he realised his mistake.
"It’s not as romantic as I thought it was going to be," admitted Joe during the second episode of the couple's new reality series.
"I knew it looked like a p*nis, I just didn’t want to believe it.
"It is a bit like a Transformer, it starts off as a truck and then when you put the ring on it looks like a c*ck and balls."
The funny blunder was caught on camera during a handful of scenes filmed for Stacey & Joe, in which the famous family jetted off to a ski resort.
As Joe revealed his new tattoo on a sunset date in the mountains, he teased: "It's the perfect time to show you my surprise...
"You remember you got that tattoo for me from your brother? I wanted to do the same for you."
Locking eyes with the seemingly X-rated design, Stacey cackled: "That's not the same as mine... Is it a d***?"
"No, it's your heart you use on Instagram wit your initial 'S'," Joe explained.
But the former Loose Women panellist was having none of it, adding: "Why did you draw a penis and ask someone to tattoo it on your finger then?"
Defeated, Joe replied: "I obviously didn't think it was a penis until he done it, and by that time it was far too late. What am I gonna do?"
"Start thinking of a bigger design," Stacey laughed. "Why didn’t you just get the name?"
Despite the tattoo fail, the meaning behind it was sweet with Joe listing off all the reasons why he loved Stacey earlier on in the episode.
He told viewers: "She's got just the most morally moral compass. Is that a word? The most morally moral compass I've ever come across.
"I want to show Stacy how much I appreciate her, and I think the best way to do that is to use my body as a canvas. I’m hoping she’s gonna love it.
Reflecting on his forever-mistake, he said: "It is all good intentions but things don’t ever work out how I expect them to."
Stacey's tattoo tribute proved more successful as she chose to ink Joe's name in simple font on her finger in 2023.
The mum-of-five has since joked it was a "midlife crisis" moment.
- Read more: Real reason Stacey Solomon’s mum Fiona doesn’t appear on her reality TV show revealed
- Read more: What is Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash's net worth?
