Stacey Solomon was there to offer a shoulder to cry on after her co-stars on Sort Your Life Out opened up about their devastating family loss. The new series of the BBC decluttering show started on Tuesday night (February 11), as Stacey and her team visited the Appleyard family in Sussex. The family, consisting of Phil, Helen, their 14-year-old daughter, and 12-year-old triplet boys, were revealed to have amassed over 2,000 greetings cards, 74 Christmas pinecones, and 99 odd socks.
But it was during a poignant moment in the clothing section that the true depth of their sorrow came to light. Holding up a hoodie, Helen shared with Stacey the painful memory of wearing it when she had her daughter Eleanor. She explained: "Eleanor is the baby number two. We had a miscarriage at 12 weeks and then I went on to have Eleanor. So, we got past the 20-week mark and then I lost some movement, so they sent me for a scan.".
She continued with the heart-wrenching revelation: "We lay in the scan room and heard the words that you never, ever, want to hear, 'your baby has no heartbeat'". Overwhelmed by emotion, Helen recounted the traumatic experience, while Phil also expressed his grief to the camera, tearfully apologising as the memories caught him off guard. Tragedy struck not once but twice for the family, as a heart-wrenching conversation unfolded on screen with Helen revealing to Stacey in the warehouse the loss of another baby at 19 weeks, who they named Levi, reports the Manchester Evening News.
An empathetic Stacey responded: "I'm so sorry, absolutely heartbreaking and I can totally understand why this would mean so much to you.". Amidst her grief, Helen divulged her reluctance to wear the particular item of clothing yet was unable to part with it. Behind the scenes, Stacey expressed a desire to do something truly special for Helen and Phil. During the episode, the considerate BBC presenter creatively attached family snapshots of the children to a section of driftwood discovered by the family at Brighton Beach.
As the crafted memento was placed above their updated bed, Helen was instantly drawn to the poignant addition. Ensuring the homage included all their kids, Stacey articulated: "I wanted to celebrate all of your children.". Observing one of the photos, an emotional Helen highlighted: "And there's Eleanor.". As the programme drew to a close, it was evident that the family deeply appreciated their newly tidied home.
A tearful Helen expressed her profound gratitude to the team: "Just to have this happen for us as a family is just beautiful and it means so much more than just the declutter. It's also the memory journey, repurposing stuff and letting go of things that doesn't define us.". Sort Your Life Out is available to watch on BBC iPlayer. Get the biggest TV headlines, recaps and insider knowledge straight to your inbox.
