Stacey Solomon’s BAFTA Snub Sparks Outrage: A Tale of Disappointment and Resilience

The 2025 BAFTA Television Awards, held on May 11 at London’s Royal Festival Hall, were a night of glitz, glamour, and unforgettable moments. Yet, for beloved TV presenter Stacey Solomon, the evening ended in heartbreak. Nominated for two prestigious awards—Entertainment Performance and Factual Entertainment for her hit BBC show Sort Your Life Out—Stacey walked away empty-handed, prompting an emotional and candid response that has set social media ablaze. In a raw Instagram video, the 35-year-old star declared she was “devastated,” fuming that her team was “robbed” and admitting she was “not taking it well.” Her unfiltered reaction has divided fans, with some praising her honesty and others criticizing her as “entitled.” So, what happened, and why is this moment resonating so deeply?

A Night of High Hopes

Stacey Solomon arrived at the BAFTAs radiating confidence and sentimentality. She turned heads in a dazzling, semi-sheer playsuit, a reworked version of the wedding dress she wore when she married Joe Swash in 2022. “I decided to have my wedding dress reworked because wearing it once feels like a travesty,” she shared on Instagram, a nod to her passion for upcycling, a cornerstone of Sort Your Life Out. Accompanied by her husband, former EastEnders actor Joe Swash, and her Sort Your Life Out co-stars Dilly Carter, Robert Bent, and Iwan Carrington, Stacey was riding high on the excitement of her dual nominations. The show, which has been a viewer favorite since its 2021 debut, was up against strong competition, including Rob and Rylan’s Grand Tour, while Stacey faced off against heavyweights like Joe Lycett and Claudia Winkleman for the solo gong.

Sort Your Life Out is more than just a home makeover show. It follows Stacey and her team as they help families declutter their homes, often during challenging times, by meticulously sorting, recycling, and upcycling possessions. The process is emotional and transformative, with the team packing entire households into a warehouse, organizing items, and creating systems to help families move forward. The show’s heartfelt approach and Stacey’s warm, relatable presenting style have earned it a loyal following and critical acclaim, including a BAFTA nomination in 2022. For Stacey, the 2025 nominations were a testament to her team’s hard work and the show’s impact on viewers.

The Sting of Defeat

As the ceremony unfolded, hosted by the charismatic Alan Cumming, the mood was electric. Major winners included Mr Bates vs The Post Office, which took home awards for Limited Drama, and Baby Reindeer, with Jessica Gunning earning Best Supporting Actress. Ruth Jones and Danny Dyer also celebrated, winning Best Female and Male Performance in a Comedy for Gavin & Stacey: The Finale and Mr Bigstuff, respectively. However, when the Factual Entertainment category was announced, Sort Your Life Out lost to Rob and Rylan’s Grand Tour. Later, Joe Lycett claimed the Entertainment Performance award for Late Night Lycett, leaving Stacey without a win.

The disappointment was palpable. Stacey, known for her wholesome and upbeat persona, maintained her composure during the ceremony, but the morning after, she let her feelings spill out. In a candid Instagram Stories video filmed while watering her vegetable patch at her Essex home, Pickle Cottage, she spoke directly to her millions of followers. Dressed casually in a green Nike sweater and blue shorts, she said, “Good morning from the veg patch, about to do the morning water. We didn’t win a BAFTA, and I know I’m supposed to take it gracefully like a champ, but I’ll be honest, I’m devastated. I’m not handling it very well. I’m not taking it gracefully—I’m devastated for our whole team. They work so hard, and they so deserve a BAFTA.”

Stacey went on to detail the grueling process behind * kind Your Life Out*. “We’ll pack up a house, and within seven days, that house is packed up, into vans, over to a warehouse, laid out on the floor. We go through it meticulously. We make sure it doesn’t just get chucked away. We donate, we recycle, we resell things, and we put it all back and try to put in systems to help families move forward,” she explained. She emphasized the emotional stakes, noting that families open their homes during vulnerable moments, trusting the team despite potential judgment from viewers. “The families give up so much to be on the show. They deserve that award,” she added, her voice tinged with frustration. In her caption, she wrote, “Gutted. What the hell @bafta. Rant over. I’m sorry.”

A Polarizing Reaction

Stacey’s outburst was a departure from the polished responses typically expected from celebrities. While she congratulated winners like Rylan Clark and Rob Rinder, her claim that her team was “robbed” sparked a firestorm of reactions. Supporters flooded her comments with messages of solidarity, praising her for her honesty and passion. “You’re allowed to be gutted, Stacey! Sort Your Life Out is incredible, and you all deserve recognition,” one fan wrote. Another added, “Your show changes lives. That’s worth more than any award.” Her co-star Dilly Carter echoed this sentiment, posting, “We walked out with our heads high and super proud of what we have achieved as a show. Some people dream of being nominated, so for us to have been nominated twice is unreal.”

However, not everyone was sympathetic. Some fans and commentators branded Stacey as “entitled” and a “bad loser.” One critic remarked, “It’s OK to be disappointed, but thinking you should have won because the show is hard work is ludicrous. A lot of hardworking people don’t expect awards.” Another said, “Grow up, Stacey. Others were better. You smile and shut up.” The backlash intensified on social media, with posts on X calling her reaction “whinging” and suggesting she was “showing her true colors.” One X user wrote, “Stacey Solomon lets rip after losing out at the BAFTAs. What are these awards even about? They just go on TV and earn money.” The controversy highlighted the pressure celebrities face to mask disappointment in the public eye.

The Bigger Picture

Stacey’s reaction must be seen in context. Sort Your Life Out is a labor of love, requiring intense logistical coordination and emotional investment. The show’s unique blend of practical organization and heartfelt storytelling has resonated with audiences, particularly during tough economic times when many families are seeking ways to simplify their lives. Its focus on sustainability—donating, recycling, and upcycling rather than discarding—aligns with growing environmental consciousness. For Stacey, a mother of five who has built her brand on authenticity, the BAFTA snub likely felt like a personal blow to her team’s mission.

The 2025 BAFTAs were also notable for other surprises and snubs. Favorites like Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light and The Traitors went home empty-handed, while Blue Lights and Marisa Abela’s performance in Industry scored unexpected wins. The diversity of winners, from Mr Loverman’s dual acting awards to Strictly Come Dancing’s Memorable Moment for Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell’s viral dance, reflected the breadth of British television. Yet, for Stacey, the night underscored the competitive nature of the industry and the subjective nature of awards.

Moving Forward

Despite the disappointment, Stacey’s resilience shines through. Her decision to rewear her wedding dress was a powerful statement about sustainability and cherishing meaningful moments, mirroring the ethos of Sort Your Life Out. The show, which has been recommissioned for another season, continues to inspire viewers with its message of transformation and hope. Stacey’s fly-on-the-wall series Stacey & Joe, which chronicles her life with Swash and their children, has also been renewed, cementing her status as a TV powerhouse.

Her candid rant, while divisive, humanizes a star often seen as unrelentingly positive. It’s a reminder that even public figures feel the sting of rejection and that passion can sometimes spill over into unfiltered emotion. As Stacey tends to her vegetable patch and prepares for the next chapter, her fans remain loyal, drawn to her authenticity and the meaningful work she champions.

Why It Matters

Stacey Solomon’s BAFTA outburst is more than just a celebrity meltdown—it’s a window into the pressures of the entertainment industry and the emotional stakes of creative work. Her story resonates because it’s relatable: who hasn’t felt overlooked or undervalued? Whether you see her as a sore loser or a passionate advocate, one thing is clear: Stacey’s voice, raw and unapologetic, has sparked a conversation that’s far from over. As Sort Your Life Out continues to change lives, the BAFTA snub may fade, but Stacey’s impact endures.