Stacey Solomon’s ‘rather insensitive’ photos have exposed an Instagram conundrum

It’s a tough life, being rich and famous. You have more money than you know what to do with. You can get almost anything you want, for free, and at any time. And the worst part is that you’re not allowed to boast about any of it. That’s the current dilemma, at least, faced by Loose Women star Stacey Solomon, who was criticised this week for sharing photographs of herself and her family on their luxury holiday.

The TV presenter and former X Factor contestant was enjoying herself at a £3,000 per week resort in Antalya, Turkey, alongside her husband, Joe Swash, and her five children: Belle, five months, Rose, one, Rex, four, Leighton, 11, and Zachary, 15. Solomon shared several fairly innocuous snaps with her 5.7 million followers, including one of her and her brood on the plane and some other shots of the family eating together, relaxing by the beach, and swimming in the pool.

In other words, these were fairly standard holiday photos. And yet, her followers were not happy about them. In fact, they were very angry. “Sorry Stacy but an average family could not afford this hotel you are very lucky to be able to afford this [sic],” commented one person. Another argued that the photos went against Solomon’s “brand”: “I don’t begrudge them a holiday at all. But the whole thing is deceitful and tone-deaf... in my opinion,” they wrote. Others agreed that, amid the cost of living crisis, the post was “rather insensitive”.

Many people have since rushed to defend Solomon, with some of her followers pointing out that she may have had a discount given her large social media following (and the fact that she tagged the location of the resort in her post). One person wrote: “It’s not like this woman sponges off the government, she works for a living and is allowed a bloody holiday! Who cares if she got a discount?” Solomon has yet to respond to the comments herself.

It’s not the first time a celebrity has been chastised for, well, living like a celebrity. Perhaps the most famous example that springs to mind is Kim Kardashian’s infamous 40th birthday party in October 2020, when the reality TV star flew 50 of her closest friends and family to Tahiti... in the middle of the pandemic. And despite her noble attempt to caveat it – “I realise that for most people, this is something that is so far out of reach right now, so in moments like these, I am humbly reminded of how privileged my life is,” she wrote – the internet went ballistic.

The thing is, sharing your life online has become an integral part of our existence today. For regular people, that may include posting a photo of an aesthetically pleasing breakfast, or a generic sunset snap. But for a celebrity, the things they post are obviously going to be a bit more premier league. Private jets. Designer wardrobes. Michelin-star meals. It’s part of the package. When these people live lives so far from our own, why do we still demand that they also be relatable?

I can’t help but think this is a criticism levelled against women more than men. Even Carrie Johnson faced opprobrium for having the apparent audacity to switch her Instagram profile from private to public and start sharing photos of her life with the former prime minister and his indeterminate number of children. And all she has done is post a few photos and videos of herself and her friends, occasionally tagging the brands they wear and the venues they’ve visited. That doesn’t make her a bad person, it just makes her a slightly insipid influencer.

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Similarly to Solomon, why does it matter that she enjoyed a luxurious holiday with her family? Solomon has five children and can afford to take them all away for a 10-day break... so what? Wouldn’t we all do the same if we could? And why shouldn’t she share photos of the trip with her followers, all of whom are supposedly interested enough in her life to follow her in the first place?

The thing is, these people are celebrities. They have money. They show it off. And we look, with either resentment or fascination, depending on our mood, how much we’ve eaten, and where we are in our menstrual cycle – or maybe that’s just me. That’s just how it works. What do we expect them to do? Post photos of themselves when they’re having a panic attack or an argument with their partner? Nobody wants to see that, and nor should we expect anyone to offer that kind of intimacy to us, a bunch of curious voyeurs.

Also, people seem to forget that if they don’t like what someone is posting on social media, there are various ways to ensure they do not see it. The “unfollow” button is there for a reason: if you’re not interested in someone’s life, whether it’s lavish or not, well, there’s only one thing left for you to do. We’ll let you work that out.