Why is Joey Essex on Love Island? Bombshell entrance explained
TOWIE royalty has entered the building!
Joey Essex has made quite the mark since he entered the villa as Love Island 2024's first bombshell, causing a stir among plenty of the other Islanders and whose head has turned like never before.
Originally paired up with Samantha Kenny, Joey's head soon turned when his former flame Grace Jackson entered as a bombshell, but it wasn't long before it turned once more - for Jessy Potts.
While the pair have had their arguments, it appears that Joey may have found the one, and his family are rooting for them all the way.
With just one week left of Love Island to go, here's everything you need to know about Joey Essex, including why he signed up for the show.
Joey Essex - Key facts
Age: 33
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Instagram: @joeyessex
Job: TV personality
Why is Joey Essex on Love Island?
It's a question that fans haven't stopped asking. After all, despite being a reality TV star, Joey Essex is outside of the Love Island bubble, having never taken part in the series before.
Speaking to The Sun before heading into the villa, Joey admitted he applied for the series and is praying to leave the villa "hand-in-hand with the love of my life".
"I feel like Joey Bond. The name's Essex, Joey Essex," the bombshell told the tabloid. "It felt like a military operation, not even the journey itself but the process of even getting through the application and to this point."
He continued: "I got on the plane to Ibiza. I made sure I wore my mask when I went out for dinner and then we got the boat over to Majorca to a villa hidden in the mountains in the middle of nowhere."
What has Joey Essex said about being on Love Island?
In his interview with The Sun, Joey explained that he is "extremely single" and wants to find a partner, after having found it difficult to do so on the outside world.
"It's difficult for me to meet girls as they judge me based on a persona so I think this experience will allow people to see the real me," he said.
In his entrance video, Joey said he is "looking for love". "I am the king of Essex and I'm ready to find my queen," he said. "This isn't my first rodeo. Boys you better watch out, I'm coming for your girls."
Who is Joey Essex's sister?
Joey Essex's sister is Frankie Essex, who appeared on The Only Way Is Essex alongside her brother back in 2011. She left the show after three years.
During the friends and family day in the villa, Joey was visited by his sister and grandmother Linda, with the former sharing how proud their mother would be of him.
"Honestly, Joe, you're doing so well," Joey's sister Frankie said. "Mummy would be so proud of you. Honestly, daddy said he loves you so much and he misses you."
What other TV shows has Joey Essex been on?
As he said himself, this isn't Joey's first rodeo. The TV personality has been on a number of television programmes.
Aside from the obvious The Only Way Is Essex, which he appeared in 109 episodes for, Joey has taken part in I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, Celebs Go Dating, Celebrity Ex on the Beach, Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins and more recently, Dancing on Ice.
He has also fronted a number of documentaries including Educating Joey Essex, Can I Improve My Memory? and Joey Essex: Grief and Me.
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Love Island continues tonight at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.
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