STACEY Solomon made her triumphant return to Loose Women today after months away from the screen.
The mum-of-five stepped back from the show 18 months ago after the birth of her daughter, Belle, making only fleeting appearances since.
However, Stacey returned to Loose Women today to give her input on this year’s Britain’s Got Talent winner, Sydnie Christmas, who took home the £250,000 prize during Sunday night’s finale.
Jane Moore, who was leading the panel, spoke about how much a contestant’s personality should impact the result of a talent competition, noting Sydnie had garnered fans thanks to her charming disposition.
Reflecting on her own experience on talent shows after appearing on X Factor in 2009, Stacey defended Sydnie, telling the panel her personality should not undercut how talented she was.
She said: “I think with Sydnie, I think it almost does her a disservice talking about her personality helping her win the competition, because her voice is just so incredible.
“She should have won it, regardless of her personality and who she is, because she’s so amazing.”
Stacey added: “I think sometimes I felt bad that people would talk about my personality, because I thought maybe I didn’t deserve to be there as much.
“Because there were so many talented people, and they might not have been as outgoing as me or as bubbly as me, but were they not getting through because I had a more bubbly personality? So I felt it made me feel bad, and I felt like I didn’t deserve it.”
Denise Welch jumped in and supported Stacey, saying: “Yeah, you did, though, because you had a brilliant voice and a great personality.”
Joking they were “meant to go head-to-head in an argument”, Denise added: “There is such a wealth of talent that sometimes having that personality shine through does make a difference.”
Stacey’s return comes after co-star Linda Robson suggested she wouldn’t be coming back at all.
Stacey has been kept busy on her own BBC show, Sort Your Life Out, as well as continuing her work as an online mum influencer.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun last month, Birds Of A Feather legend Linda said: “She’s not going to be a regular anymore? I don’t think so, but you never know.
“I would love her to come back, she’s a really good Loose Woman – she’s really honest. But I think she’s got too much on.
“She’s got her own series and her and Joe are out in their little house. She’s still really welcome but she’s just so busy.”
The busy mum has also admitted that she wants to quit TV forever to be a stay-at-home parent for her youngest children – Rex, five, Rose, two, and 15-month-old Belle.
Stacey told beauty entrepreneur Caroline Hirons in her Glad We Had This Chat podcast: “Every year I have a team meeting with my agent and everyone on the team to say, ‘What’s your plan? What’s your goal?’
“And this year when they asked me my five-year goal, I was like, ‘I want to be a stay-at-home mum.’ That is my dream, it’s my ultimate dream.
“I just want to be with my kids.”
Stacey said she has made the decision to step back from work following the realisation that her eldest son Zachary, 16, is poised to become a grown-up.
Her second eldest, Leighton, is already 12 and in senior school.
