Ulrika Jonsson fires back at being called a ‘4×4 mum’ as she defends Stacey Solomon

Ulrika Jonsson has hit back at people who use the term ‘4×4 mum’ as she defended Stacey Solomon after a cruel troll criticised her family set-up. 

The TV presenter, 53, told how she was happy to read that Stacey, 31, whose three sons all have different fathers, defended herself when an internet user questioned her home life. 

Writing in her column for The Sun, Ulrika, who has four children with four former partners, told how she has been called a ‘4×4 mum’ numerous times over the years, saying it is term used to shame women.

She wrote: ‘For me, it wasn’t just about the humour of it. It was meant to injure. To hurt and, above all, to shame a woman. I didn’t particularly want to be associated with the label because I felt no sense of shame. At all.

‘My simple history was made to look and seem complicated by the fact that my life had worked out differently to normal expectations — to the “norm”.

She added: ‘The simple truth — which applies to both me and Stacey — is that we are good, caring mothers. We chose to have our children — we longed for them, regardless of the circumstances of their creation.’

Ulrika recalled how hurt she felt when, 12 years ago, she watched an episode of Loose Women where one of the panellists, who she did not name, said: ‘It must be like Euston Station at her house with all the kids coming and going.’

The presenter admitted the comment ‘burned’ but she was defended by then panellist Jane McDonald.

Ulrika had her son Cameron, 26, with her first husband John Turnball followed by daughter Bo, 21, with her ex Markus Kempen.

She welcomed daughter Martha, 16, with ex-husband Lance Gerrard-Wright and had her fourth child, Malcolm, 12, with Brian Monet.

Ulrika said she was always maternal and does not look at the end of any of her relationships as failures, noting she still co-parents Malcolm with Brian.

Recalling other hurtful comments from the past, Ulrika told how Jack Whitehall made a ‘4×4’ jibe at her after she won Celebrity Big Brother in 2009.

Ulrika said she realised at the time the term would be her ‘mantle’ and felt it was ‘bleak’ to think her career achievements had amounted to that.

The broadcaster added that the term ‘4×4’ is used to imply a woman is promiscuous but Ulrika insisted all of her children were planned and deeply wanted. 

Ulrika also noted there is far less stigma directed towards men who have children with multiple women.

It comes after Stacey recently hit back at a troll after she was criticised for having three different fathers to her three different boys.

The Loose Women presenter is mother to Zachary, 12, with her teen boyfriend Dean Cox, Leighton, eight, with her ex Aaron Barham, and Rex, 19 months, with her fiancé Joe Swash, who is father to Harry, 13, with his ex Emma Sophocleous.

As she took to Instagram to post her usual content, Stacey interrupted her stories to hit back at the message, which read: ‘It must be very sad having three different dads for your boys. Always apart. Oh well, I suppose you’re happy about it.’

Stacey lives in Essex with Joe, and her three boys, while Joe’s son Harry lives with his mum. Zachary, Leighton and Harry all transit between their parents’ homes.

The unkind comment was sparked when Stacey revealed that her boys had decided to stay at their dads’ houses to continue their homeschooling, as the UK is in lockdown and most schools remain closed to children.

Stacey wrote: ‘I’m really missing the big pickles today. They wanted to stay at their dads’ and because they are doing school from home they can…

‘I do get sad when they don’t want to come home but I know how happy it will make their dads and I never want to stop them from having the chance to make memories with their family. But oh my gosh I miss them.

‘It’s lovely for a couple of days, less mess, less noise but they the house just feels so empty and Rex looks for them everywhere’.

Once Stacey had spotted the critical comment, she said: ‘Woah there Wilma! Its far too early for that kind of judgement and of course I’m happy about it, they’re the best thing to ever happen to me regardless of how they happened to me.’

She then wrote over the top of the video: ‘Never let anyone make you feel like you’re not good enough just because things just happen to work out differently from the “norm”. Keep doing you the best way you know how…

‘Unconditional love from anywhere in different shapes and sizes is all they’ll need.’

In 2017, Stacey confessed to feeling an ‘overwhelming sense of guilt’ about the thought of expanding her family unit, confessing that she has read several studies about the social and emotional impact of broken homes on young children.

She spoke candidly to the Huffington Post in a video blog, debating the question of when the right time is to have a child in a new relationship when you already have kids with previous partners.

Stacey explained: ‘I always have an overwhelming sense of guilt that if I were to make my family greater, that I would impact on them socially and emotionally.

‘There’s definitely been times in my life where I’ve felt the stigma of having multiple children from different partners.’

The former X Factor star also discussed growing up in a big family, revealing she was one of three kids before her dad remarried and she became one of seven.

Stacey, who enthused that ‘nothing was ever boring’ growing up, insisted that despite her reservations, she could see the overwhelming benefits of having an unconventional family unit.

She concluded: ‘Life is never perfect, you just need to adapt – ultimately by doing that, you’re going to give your children the best start in life.’