Meet Joe Swash’s Parents: Ricky Swash and Kiffy Swash

Joe Swash, born Joseph Adam Swash on January 20, 1982, in Islington, London, is a beloved British actor and television presenter, best known for his role as Mickey Miller in EastEnders and his lively personality on UK television.

Raised in a working-class family, Joe’s passion for acting began early—landing an Andrex advert at age seven, followed by roles in You Rang, M’Lord? at nine and The Adventures of Pinocchio at eleven.

His childhood was shaped by both opportunity and tragedy: in 1994, when Joe was just 12, his father Ricky Swash, a London cab driver, died suddenly of Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS). His mother, Kiffy Swash (Catherine Mary O’Connor), a foster carer, raised Joe, his sisters Shana Swash (who later acted alongside him in EastEnders) and Caisie Swash, as well as a foster brother, Daniel Swash, whom Joe regards as family.

With Scottish, Irish, and Italian roots, Joe’s heritage reflects his diverse background. He trained at Highbury Grove School and the Anna Scher Theatre School, which honed his natural talent and charisma.

Now 43 years old and standing 5’8″ (1.73 m) tall, Joe has lived much of his life in the public eye.

His personal life includes a son, Harry Swash (born 2007), with ex-partner Emma Sophocleous. In 2016, he began dating Stacey Solomon, and the pair married on July 24, 2022, at their Essex home with a Jewish blessing in honor of Stacey’s heritage.

Together, they share three children—Rex Swash (2019), Rose Swash (2021), and Belle Swash (2023)—while Joe also embraces his role as stepdad to Stacey’s sons Zachary Swash and Leighton Swash, making theirs a blended family of six children.

Joe’s career has been just as vibrant. After winning I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! in 2008, he went on to co-present Extra Camp and appear in numerous shows, always bringing his trademark warmth and humor.

Yet behind the cameras, Joe often reflects on the influence of his parents, Ricky and Kiffy, whose legacy of resilience, love, and fostering shaped not only his career but his dedication to family life.

Ricky Swash

Ricky William Swash, born in 1955, was the epitome of a hands-on, loving dad who balanced a demanding job with an active, health-conscious lifestyle. As a London black cab driver, Ricky navigated the bustling streets of the capital daily, providing for his family in the working-class neighborhood of Islington.

But he was far more than his profession—Joe has often described him as “the best dad ever,” a man who ran half-marathons, jogged three or four times a week, and even trimmed the fat off his bacon to stay fit.

Ricky‘s bond with young Joe was unbreakable. Photos shared by Joe on social media capture tender moments: Ricky cradling a baby Joe on his hip, pushing him in a pram while Joe’s older siblings walked alongside, or simply relaxing with a grin.

These snapshots paint a picture of a playful, supportive father who instilled in Joe a sense of adventure and resilience. “He was fit and healthy,” Joe recalled in a 2022 interview, emphasizing how Ricky‘s sudden passing shattered that image of invincibility.

Tragically, Ricky died on March 5, 1994, at the age of 39, leaving behind his wife Kiffy and their three young children: Joe (then 12), Shana (9), and Caisie (7). The cause was Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS), an undiagnosed heart condition that struck without warning one Saturday morning.

Joe, woken by his mother’s screams, raced into the bedroom to find Ricky unconscious but breathing. In a moment of panic, the young boy dialed 999 and summoned an ambulance, but it was too late. “I watched my dad die,” Joe later shared, a memory that haunts him to this day.

The loss rippled through the family. Joe has spoken candidly about the “toughest” years that followed, watching his mother shoulder the burden while he grappled with grief. In 2024, ahead of Father’s Day, Joe posted a carousel of family photos on Instagram, explaining why he skipped the usual tributes: “I lost my dad when I was 12 and it’s still something I haven’t quite got over.”

Ricky‘s absence continues to impact Joe‘s fatherhood to his six children—Harry Swash (17), Rex Swash (6), Rose Swash (3), Belle Swash (2), and his stepsons, Zachary Swash (16) and Leighton Swash (12).

“It impacts him,” Stacey Solomon has said of Joe‘s lingering sorrow, noting how he strives to be present in ways Ricky couldn’t be. Yet, Ricky‘s spirit lives on in Joe‘s stories.

In his 2022 cookbook Joe‘s Kitchen, Joe dedicates heartfelt passages to his father, crediting him for sparking his love of cooking simple, wholesome meals. Ricky‘s legacy isn’t one of fame but of quiet strength—a dad who ran the London Marathon distances in training and taught his son the value of perseverance.

Kiffy Swash

If Ricky was the heart of the Swash family, Kiffy Swash (real name Catherine Mary O’Connor), the mother of Joe Swash, has been its unbreakable backbone.

Born with Irish-Scottish-Italian roots, Kiffy raised Joe and his sisters in Islington after Ricky‘s death, juggling multiple jobs to keep the household afloat. As a cleaner by day, she also took over Ricky‘s black cab business, driving routes herself to make ends meet.

“Those three or four years watching her deal with Dad’s death were some of the toughest of my life,” Joe admitted in 2024. “But it was harder for her.” Kiffy‘s resilience extended beyond survival; it became a calling.

After her children left home, she trained as a foster carer in the early 2010s, opening her heart—and home—to vulnerable children in need. For over 15 years, she has provided stability to dozens of young people, including Daniel Swash, whom she began fostering at the age of seven. Joe considers Daniel a full brother:

“Daniel will be part of our life forever. He’s as much part of the family as me.” Kiffy‘s work isn’t just a job; it’s a passion born from empathy. “We wanted to love them and get involved and show them all the benefits of life,” Joe said of his family’s involvement.

This fostering journey profoundly shaped Joe. In his 2023 BBC One documentary, Joe Swash: Teens in Care, he explored the UK’s care system by interviewing teenagers in foster homes and residential settings. Inspired by Kiffy, Joe highlighted the challenges and joys of fostering, even teasing future plans with Stacey: “When our kids get older… maybe then, we’ll try to foster ourselves.”

The film featured emotional scenes of Kiffy sharing her experiences, from the “journey from single mum to foster mum” to the importance of supporting birth parents alongside children. Kiffy‘s influence on Joe‘s career is equally telling.

After Ricky‘s death, Joe veered toward trouble in Islington’s tough streets—”a lot of the kids I grew up with are dead or in prison,” he reflected. But Kiffy kept him grounded, pushing him to apply to drama school. “Mum kept me on the straight and narrow,” Joe credits her for steering him from “criminality” to the stage, where he landed EastEnders at 21.

She’s been there through his “darkest days,” too—like his 2008 breakup with Emma Sophocleous, when Joe isolated himself, and Kiffy banged on his door in worry.

Today, Kiffy remains a constant in the blended Swash-Solomon family. She stood proudly at Joe and Stacey‘s 2022 wedding at Pickle Cottage, their Essex farmhouse. With grandchildren like Shana‘s daughter Kitty (born 2023) and Casie‘s son Nico, Kiffy‘s home buzzes with the next generation.

Joe‘s sisters—actress Shana (who played his on-screen sibling in EastEnders) and private Casie—echo their mother’s strength, forming a tight-knit unit.