Unless you’ve been living under a rock, it won’t be news to you to find out that TV personality and UK celebrity Joey Essex has been spending the summer on TV screens with the hope of finding another flirty singleton to love in the sun. Fans have been divided by the shock revelation, with some arguing that Love Island is for non-celebs or ‘normal people’ while others have loved this recent shake-up and branded it iconic. The 33-year-old, who has been backed to win the series outright, admitted to the Sun that he had applied of his own accord and wasn’t approached by any members of the show’s production.
So, who is Joey Essex ? What do we know about the Villa’s VIP contestant, and what is his Irish connection? Joey Essex first hit our screens when he appeared on the reality television show The Only Way is Essex , better known as TOWIE, alongside his sister Frankie and four of his cousins, quickly becoming one of the show’s most popular characters. He became known for his catchphrase ‘ reem ’ – meaning ‘good’ or ‘cool’ – and for his sometimes-shocking lack of general knowledge. The star even released a song by the same name! Essex is the only son of ex-boxer Donny and his wife Tina, who sadly passed away when the TV star was just a boy after developing an infection called candida , which caused severe stomach problems and depression.
Tina succumbed to her symptoms when the Love Island contestant was only ten years old. In 2013, Essex and his sister both announced that they were leaving TOWIE after a two-year run on the show. Having made a name for himself, Essex went on to other television projects such as Dancing on Ice, I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here , and Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.
However, Love Island isn’t the first time we have seen the TV personality participate in a raunchy dating show; he has also appeared on Celebrity Ex on the Beach and Celebs Go Dating. It’s safe to say that the London native isn’t shy of the spotlight when it comes to reality television. The Towie star has found himself in a long list of relationships since bursting onto the reality scene in 2011, starting with co-star Sam Faiers – the pair was one the show’s original Essex duos, staying together on and off for over three years before parting ways for good in September 2014.
It was even reported that Essex asked Faiers to marry him in 2012, to which she said yes. However, the engagement was short-lived following the TOWIE Marbella holiday where they decided to split up. The star commenced a relationship with waitress Amber Turner in 2012 during his on-off relationship with Sam Faiers, but shortly after splitting, Turner joined the cast of TOWIE as Dan Edgar’s girlfriend.
A post shared by Samantha Faiers (@samanthafaiers) Other relationships following his split from Faiers and Turner included I’m A Celeb co-star Amy Willerton, party girl Charlotte Stuchfield, Made in Chelsea Star and US-born Socialite Stephanie Pratt, and Ex-Love Island star Ellie Brown. The star also spent a night with internationally acclaimed singer Rita Ora , which led to the break-up of his relationship with Lorena Medina in 2020. The star also has Irish connections when it comes to his long and busy love life.
In 2022, the TOWIE personality was spotted sharing a kiss with Love Island star and Longford Native Maura Higgins at the Pride of Britain Awards 2022. The stars were spotted enjoying each other’s company outside the venue before leaving in a taxi together. Higgins later joked that it was ‘how I greet people’ after Essex was spotted edging closer to the Love Island alum before the pair shared a passionate kiss.
His most recent love interest has recently entered the Love Island Villa alongside the personality, and things are heating up considerably . Grace Jackson, one of the villa’s most recent entries, was left ‘hurt and confused’ when the TOWIE star dumped her suddenly after a whirlwind romance this year. However, the pair seem to have rekindled their relationship, as their raunchy night together forced producers to cut scenes from the show as they were unsuitable for TV.
A post shared by Joey Essex (@joeyessex) Love Island’s shock bombshell is very active on social media platforms such as Instagram and Twitter, sharing snaps of his lavish lifestyle. He recently shared a topless picture captioned ‘Essex Most Wanted’, which gained thousands of likes from his 1.8 million followers.
Other posts show the star showing off eye-catching luxury motors, designer clothes, and holidays abroad to sunny destinations. His Instagram bio has recently been changed to ‘I’m off to find love in the Love Island Villa.’ – Who knows, we might have a celebrity Love Island Villa winner on our hands!.
