Joey Essex can add Love Island to his bumper reality TV CV thanks to his debut on the ITV2 series this evening. The former TOWIE star, 33, left Love Island viewers stunned when he appeared on their screens towards the end of tonight's summer series launch episode, with the Essex lad unveiled as a bombshell ready to cause some chaos inside the Spanish villa. While Joey may be no stranger to the world of celebrity and reality TV, viewers may be surprised to learn a few things about the villa's first bombshell of the summer.
From the heartbreaking way he dealt with the death of his mother as a young boy to his famous exes and one-time co-star fiancee, we take a look at Joey's life away from the cameras. Love Island isn't the first time Joey has navigated a relationship with the cameras on hand to capture everything. Joey first found love with fellow TOWIE cast member Sam Faiers back in 2011, during the early days of the hit Essex-based show.
Their romance unfolded on-screen for viewers to follow. The pair had an on-again, off-again relationship over three years, which even saw Joey popping the question on the show. But the engagement was fleeting, and they called it quits for good while on a TOWIE group holiday in Marbella in 2014.
In between his rollercoaster romance with Sam, Joey enjoyed a brief liaison with model Amy Willerton, whom he met on I'm A Celebrity ...
Get Me Out Of Here! in 2013. In 2016, fans were thrilled with the reality TV mash-up when Joey Essex and Made in C.