Joey Essex
Former TOWIE star Joey Essex, 33, becomes the oldest contestant and first celebrity bombshell on Love Island. Seeking a genuine connection, Joey hopes to find true love in the villa, despite his past high-profile relationships. Fans react to his new look as he enters the show in secret.
A TOWIE Star becomes The Show’s oldest-ever contestant on the hunt for true love.
The most surprising bombshell of the evening was Joey Essex on the launch night of the new series of Love Island, who made history as the first-ever celebrity to enter the villa in a bid to find love. Ex-TOWIE star James has been a reality TV regular ever since he first hit our screens in the iconic Essex show in 2011, most recently back on our screens in the 2023 series of Dancing on Ice, where he came second.
Joey Essex wants access to the Love Island villa for a ‘real’ romance—Joey Essex—Reem On Love Island.
Discussing signing up for the dating series, Joey Essex shared: “I just want someone to like me for me and not what they see on TV. The whole beauty of going into the villa is that it’s such a bubble in that you are so detached from everybody to be able to focus on what really matters on a higher level.
Love Gone Wrongs and Hope For Love True
The TOWIE star has dated other famous exes, including co-star Sam Faiers, model Lorena Medina, Love Island’s Ellie Brown, and US socialite Stephanie Pratt. He was also connected to both Rita Ora and Amy Willerton. Now, he is looking for his genuine love between the villa walls.
Speaking to The Sun, Joey Essex said: “I’m very much single at the moment, so I’m hoping to leave the villa hand in hand with the love of my life; that’s all I want and what I care about.
“I can’t meet girls in real life as they take me as something.
Despite Joey Essex always claiming he had applied, as everybody who joined the show, rather than being approached by Love Island bosses, he still had to watch his every move as he jetted off to the sunny show location. “It was almost like a military manoeuvre,” he said. “Flew onto a plane to Ibiza, made sure I still wore my mask in every restaurant I dined in, and then we got the boat to Majorca to a villa in the middle of nowhere chilling in the mountains far away from anyone,” he confessed.
Fans have their say on Joey’s new look.
Joey Essex’s revelation was recorded before the remaining contestants were called to the firepit on Monday, June 3. The reality star’s followers were quick to comment on how unrecognizable he was in social media snaps, with one penning: “The buzz cut, so I’m screaming!! Meanwhile, another fan commented: “Joey Essex looks a bit like Ron from season 9, no? #loveisland.” A third added: “Joey Essex got old, so different #CelebsGoDating.“ I don’t like it.”
Joey Essex seems to have had the most exciting journey in the Love Island villa. At the ripe old age of 33, he is the oldest in the group. He hopes to uncover the honest answer to this question, and fans will be watching with anticipation to see if he does.