Ahead of his appearance on Blankety Blank tonight, Joe Swash has opened up about his shopping addiction and how it has seen him spend ‘pointless’ money, which he knows will annoy his wife Stacey Solomon
EastEnders’ Joe Swash has opened up about his “addiction” to online shopping on TikTok, which he fears could land him in “big trouble” with his wife, Loose Women’s Stacey Solomon.
The TV star candidly shared his concerns over the financial impact of his frequent impulse purchases, acknowledging that he often falls for items sold at low prices but then ends up buying them in bulk, something he believes is influenced by his ADHD.
ADHD, as described by the NHS website, means your brain functions in a different fashion, leading to difficulties with concentration and sitting still.
The condition can also cause a potential tendency towards impulsive behaviour, including while shopping.
On Tom Price’s ‘My Mate Bought A Toaster’ podcast, Joe confessed his latest buy – a slingshot chicken finger toy – caught his interest while planning family time for his and Stacey’s brood, including their children Rex, Rose, Belle, and Joe’s Harry, along with Stacey’s sons Zachary and Leighton from previous relationships.
Joe eagerly told Tom: “I bought 20 of them. So everyone’s going to be able to have a go,” prompting the host, who also has ADHD, to quip about the excitement awaiting the children: “There’s going to be a slingshot chicken off when daddy gets home.”
Joe quipped: “There sure will be! Or I’m going to be in real big trouble by Stacey because I’ve just wasted more money on some other pointless product.”
When asked about his spending habits, the I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! champ confessed: “Yeah. I think the trap that I fall into is that because I feel like I buy stuff at a low price, I forget about the quantity of stuff that I’m getting.
“So instead of buying three or four things at a really high price that might last and be really handy, I’ll buy hundreds of little things.”
Discussing online shopping hits and misses, Joe admitted that gaining his wife’s approval is tough: “I don’t think Stacey will admit to me passing any test because she doesn’t… she’s not comfortable with my TikTok addiction. So she doesn’t want to feed into it.”
The TV star, who is being treated for ADHD, shared his recent diagnosis: “I’ve just been recently diagnosed with it, so I’m sort of new to it. So, I don’t really know [about it], I’ve started the medication and stuff like that.”
He humorously added: “I lost the medication, that’s part of the ADHD I think, it’s all swings and roundabouts. So, I’ve had to order some more of the medication.”
Joe Swash is appearing on Blankety Blank tonight at 7.55pm on BBC One.
