Stacey Solomon

She shared how to make the most of your luggage allowance when travelling as a family

TV star Stacey Solomon shared a handful of essentials parents should pack before a flight in a previous partnership with Jet2. She said: “When I’m packing hand luggage, it’s one of those things that I really need to think about because I know, when you’re on a flight with kids, you just want to be prepared for any eventuality.”

Stacey’s hand luggage “staples” when travelling with kids include a variety of things that can keep little ones occupied and make the flight go a lot smoother for the parents and other passengers.

Packing your own snacks is an excellent way to keep kids occupied, save money on airport prices, and avoid limited options once in the air. Make sure that it follows airport security rules (such as no liquids over 100ml).

Bringing any games to play can help keep little ones occupied without the need for devices. Stacey suggested card games, as they avoid the need for fiddly plastic pieces or dice flying about the cabin.

She said: “Another thing I love bringing in [the kids] hand luggage is sticker books. My kids will sit and do sticker books for ages. They love colouring, but if you don’t want to pick up pencils from under everyone’s seat the entire flight, go with stickers – it’s a better option!”

Another thing to remember for a fun memory is a cuddly toy. Stacey said that Jet2 has a “really cute” offer for a free ‘Teddy Passport’ that can be filled out in the airport.

The scheme was launched in October 2023, and it’s still offered in 2026. Simply ask one of the check-in agents at the desk when you arrive to drop off your bags, and they will provide you with a complimentary passport.

A Jet2 spokesperson said: “After receiving a teddy bear passport, holidaymakers can then give their teddy’s passport to Cabin Crew when boarding. As well as being a fun start to the holiday, parents have reported that it has helped their children feel a sense of independence and given them some understanding about the process of travelling overseas from a young age.”

Stacey’s top tips for packing

Make a list: Stacey says to keep a list of everything you want and need to take away with you. Following a list means you will not forget things, overpack or potentially leave something behind at home. She said: “I know exactly what I’ve got if I refer to my list.”

Use packing cubes: Stacey said that she “genuinely swears by these” and they can be bought from places like Amazon, Argos, Dunelm, Primark and more. In her Jet2 video, the mum of five had her items sorted into categories such as cosmetics and sun safety.

Plan crease-free outfits: By not worrying if clothes will end up wrinkled, Stacey said items can be packed much tighter in a suitcase and can therefore mean extra room. She joked: “Stop going on holiday in linen – you’ll be ironing the whole time!”

A noughties TV legend and star of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! has explained just why so many people refused to appear with him on television at the height of his career

Dom Joly has revealed that several people refused to appear alongside him on TV – all for the same reason. The comedian, 58, shot to fame when he began fronting Trigger Happy TV in 2000, and the format saw him going out in public to intentionally put himself in embarrassing situation, all to get a reaction.

When the programme first started, viewers and participants alike assumed the chaos, which was being caught on hidden cameras, was genuine and it became an overnight success. But as the series progressed and became more popular, members of the public became wise to when Dom was out and about filming.

The show came to an end in 2003, and now Dom, who went on to appear on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! alongside This Morning star Alison Hammond and eventual winner Stacey Solomon, has revealed that a considerable amount of people refused to be seen on camera because they were being unfaithful to their partners at the time, and couldn’t risk having that broadcast to the nation.

READ MORE: I’m A Celebrity legend lands huge radio role and raves new gig is ‘perfect’ for themREAD MORE: Dom Joly now from Trigger Happy breakdown to BBC regrets and rarely-seen wife

Speaking on the Remember Me? podcast, he told host Maisie Adam: “We got away with quite a lot but the main reason people didn’t sign consent forms – it’s not that they didn’t want to be on telly, it’s because they were having affairs.

“I can not tell you the amount of people we did, and when the second series went out, the guy would go ‘Oh my god, it’s Dom Joly! Am I being filmed? Oh! That’s not my wife.’ That was just the people we talked to!”

Dom’s most famous bit is, ironically, his least favourite – that enormous phone. Just days after the first episode aired in January 2000, he was on a train when he heard that now-familiar Nokia ring tone.

He said: “Three people stood up and shouted, ‘HELLO?! YEAH I’M ON THE TRAIN – IT’S RUBBISH!’ I was like, ‘f***. What is happening?’” It’s a catchphrase that has haunted him for 25 years.

“I swear there’s not a day where it doesn’t happen. Even on the way here, a bloke spotted me and shouted, ‘HELLO?!’ And 25 years later I still don’t have a good response to it! Like, ‘Yes, hello!’”

“So many scenes went wrong, but the worst we did was with Sarah Ferguson,. We were walking past the Duke of York barracks on King’s Road and there’s a party going on, so we go in and blag some free drinks. Suddenly we spot Fergie sitting in the corner on her own, so we say, ‘let’s do it’.

“We go right up to her, she looks panicky and I stick my microphone in her face and say, ‘Good morning Your Majesty, you are live on Good Morning Mexico – do you have anything to say to the people of Mexico?’

“She starts blabbering on into this tiny camera, and after a while I ask her to pause because we’ve gone to a commercial break, and could she absolutely freeze?

“And for three minutes, me, Sam and the Duchess of York are frozen in the middle of this drinks party. And then we leg it. By the time we get back to our office there’s a fax from her lawyers and sadly we could never show the footage.”

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