In the process, he started a debate on whether or not celebs should be allowed on reality shows and should be reserved for “normal people.”
When the new season premiered, Essex was introduced as the first bombshell of the ITV series in a shocking cliffhanger. The move to have Essex on the show was controversial; while some “Love Island” fans were excited by the news and called it legendary, others insisted that the dating show should be reserved for regular, non-famous folks.
When Joey Essex was interviewed, he maintained that he applied of his own free will and wasn’t contacted by “Love Island” producers. As soon as he was revealed as a contestant, multiple major betting firms backed the celeb to win the show. Only time will tell over the course of the next eight weeks whether they’re right or not.
Who is Joey Essex?
Joey first appeared publicly in 2011 on “The Only Way is Essex.” He went viral for popularizing Essex slang with the catchphrase “reem,” which means “cool” or good.” He also became known for his unexpected lack of general knowledge of things.
Since making his debut on ”The Only Way Is Essex,” he has appeared on several reality shows, including “I’m A Celeb,” “Dancing on Ice,” and “Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.” Love Island is far from Essex’s first reality dating show—in the past, he’s appeared on “Celebs Go Dating,” the resulting spin-off “Celebs Go Dating: The Mansion,” and “Celebrity Ex on the Beach.”
He appeared in a more serious light on a self-made documentary for the BBC that explored grief and how the star was impacted by the death of his mother, who died by suicide when Essex was only ten years old.
In terms of romance, Joey has been linked to multiple high-profile relationships, dating the likes of Rita Ora and a former star from “Love Island, “ Maura Higgins. , which has given him even more exposure.
Essex has even been engaged twice previously to his “The Only Way Is Essex” co-star Sam Faiers, but based on what he told The Sun in their interview, he’s currently “extremely single.”
As Sam walked on the “Love Island” villa in Mallorca, he dubbed himself “the king of Essex,” who was ready to find his queen. He went on to say, This isn’t my first rodeo. Boys, you better watch out – I’m coming for your girls.”
While the series was wildly popular from 2017 to 2019, viewership has dropped since then. The last season’s finale only brought in 1 million viewers, a stark contrast from the 6 million viewers it had in 2019. However, the 2024 premiere experienced a newfound popularity with 2 million viewers, an increase from 1.3 million in 2023.
This season, the show reinstated a social media ban, so friends and family of those on the island won’t be able to post for them while they stay at the villa. Despite his fame, Joey has adhered to the same rules as the other contestants and confirmed the pause of his social accounts, as reported by BBC Newsbeat.
Is the bombshell bad news or iconic?
Former contestants of “Love Island” have been weighing in on the addition of Joey Essex. Last year’s winner, Kai Fagan, who is recently engaged to Sanam Harrinanan, called it “madness,” adding that Essex had already “completed reality TV” with the bevy of shows he’d appeared on. 2015 contestant Joshua Ritchie, who also came back from the All Stars edition in early 2024, said the men at the villa had “zero chance” against this celeb and that they might as well quit. Season 8 “Love Island” star Tasha Ghouri, on the other hand, called it “iconic.”
The arrival of Joey Essex wasn’t the only shocker that producers revealed. The way in which couples were matched has also been changed. Instead of ranking one another based on attractiveness, they chose others based on who they considered boyfriend/girlfriend material.
Then, they were matched accordingly.
ITV1 broadcast the premiere, giving fans a preview of the show’s main summer series.