Love Island’s creative director squashes Joey Essex salary rumours
"In this villa, he's just Joey."
When Joey Essex entered the villa at the beginning of Love Island 2024, no one could quite believe their eyes. Was it a joke, was he there for a party, or was it simply all a rouse to distract viewers?
Well, none of those, it turns out. The reality TV superstar was there to find love just like all the other Islanders who stepped into the villa and as such, he was treated like any other Islander – blue tick or not!
In an exclusive interview with RadioTimes.com, Love Island's creative director Mike Spencer opened up on his decision to cast Joey, and was quick to defend the rumours Joey was a favourite or being paid for his appearance on the reality show.
"I've known Joey for years and I think he's such a standout character and I felt like it was just a neat thing to do," Spencer said of Joey's bombshell entrance.
"Joey has been looking for love himself and it feels like he found it with Jessy, and I think it was an interesting trick to do to the viewer."
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Spencer noted that Joey was "treated like every other Islander" and did not receive any preferential treatment simply because he was a well-known name in comparison to the others.
He continued: "There have been lots of speculation about if he's getting paid, he's absolutely not. He really wanted to look for love and he's coming to the age now where's he's looking to settle down, and I think that no mobile phones, no distractions, he's a media personality. But in this villa, he's just Joey and I think it was really needed to do.
"And I think it helped kind of kick off the series with a fresh twist, which the viewers always seem to love."
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Joey's bombshell entrance into the villa isn't the only moment that viewers haven't stopped talking about, or Spencer for that matter. A sound that has been going viral simply everywhere is of Nicole Samuel and Uma Jammeh's reactions to the mysterious Emma in Casa Amor.
During the show's mid-season twist, the villas went head-to-head in a series of flirty challenges and when Emma was announced as the winner of a few, Uma and Nicole were desperate to know: Who is she?
Thus, the sound was born. "Who is Emma? Emma, who are you?", and Love Island's Mike Spencer can't get enough of it.
He told RadioTimes.com: "It really makes me laugh, I think it's because of Nicole's Welsh accent."
As for other standout moments, Spencer noted: "Mimii and the secret mission! That was an absolute standout moment and I think for me it's that this year's cast have got absolutely stuck in.
"I always say the best thing about Love Island is the fact that you don't have a mobile phone and with dating, it's pretty handy to not have that kind of pressure of a mobile on the outside world.
"So I think they've really embraced that and just probably got the memo of looking for love and they've all been open and opinionated."
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Love Island continues tonight at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.
Seasons 1-10 are available to watch on ITVX. You can watch all previous seasons of Love Island on BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free trial.
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