Joey Essex has signed up to star on . The hunk netted a big-money deal to be a contestant on the new series of the dating show. In the final moments of Monday night's launch episode (June 3), he made a surprise arrival in the TV villa.
Bosses hope sending in a celebrity contestant will be a ratings winner. A show insider said: “Joey is TV gold, so he’s going to send viewing figures through the roof.” Viewers will see what Joey gets up to in the villa when the new series continues on Tuesday at 9pm on ITV2.
The insider added: “Joey’s arrival is bound to mix things up. It’s likely quite a few of the girls will be fighting to get his attention.” Joey agreed to do the show a year after splitting from Dancing on Ice skater Vanessa Bauer.
His other exes include Sam Faiers, Amy Willerton, Stephanie Pratt, Maura Higgins and Amber Turner. An insider said: “This is a chance for Joey to finally find someone he can settle down with. There won’t be any distractions.
” Joey’s stint on Love Island follows appearances on a string of reality shows over the years. The lad has starred on I’m A Celebrity, The Jump, Celebrity Ex on the Beach, Dancing on Ice, Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, Celebrity MasterChef and Splash! The reality television legend isn't the first famous face to enter Love Island, though. In past years, professional dancer Curtis Pritchard and boxer Tommy Fury moved into the villa.
And over the past few years, previous islanders have returned for another .
