Joey Essex surprised fans when he entered the Love Island 2024 villa, becoming the dating show’s first ever celebrity contestant.
Season 11 of Love Island UK premiered on June 3, and a brand new cast entered the stunning Mallorca villa with the aim of finding love and winning the £50,000 prize money.
After welcoming and coupling up the 12 islanders, host Maya Jama introduced the first celebrity bombshell, Joey Essex, who left his fellow contestants stunned when he made his debut on the show.
But while fans in the UK immediately recognized the popular television personality, some viewers from other countries quickly took to social media to question who he is.
Who is Joey Essex on Love Island?
Joey Essex is a 33-year-old reality TV star from Essex, who has appeared on a number of different shows throughout his career, including “The Only Way Is Essex,” “Dancing on Ice,” and “I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!”
He’s also known for his catchphrase “reem,” which means “good” or “cool,” and for sometimes showing a surprising lack of general knowledge.
The only way is… Essex 🔥 The #LoveIsland Villa just got a bit more ‘reem’ as Joey Essex has arrived to find his future wife ❤️🔥 pic.twitter.com/Xf0C9nFWNE
— Love Island (@LoveIsland) June 3, 2024
In 2021, he made a BBC documentary titled “Joey Essex: Grief and Me” delving into grief and its impact on him, stemming from the loss of his mother, who died by suicide when he was 10 years old.
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Love Island isn’t his first stint on a dating show, as the 33-year-old has previously featured on Celebrity Ex on the Beach, Celebs Go Dating, and its spin-off Celebs Go Dating: The Mansion.
In matters of romance, Essex has been linked to some high-profile relationships, including ones with Rita Ora and Maura Higgins. He’s also been engaged twice before to fellow “TOWIE” star, Sam Faiers.
According to The Sun, the reality star chose to apply to be on Love Island himself. “It felt like a military operation, not even the journey itself but the process of even getting through the application process and to this point,” he told the newspaper.
“I’m extremely single right now, so I’m praying that I’m going to walk out of the villa hand in hand with the love of my life, that’s my main aim and all I care about.”
Love Island fans have been left buzzing with excitement following his unexpected appearance on the show, as the star prepares to steal one islander’s girl tonight.