Joey Essex Makes History as First Celebrity to Enter Love Island Villa
In a shocking twist, reality TV star Joey Essex has made history by becoming the first celebrity to enter the Love Island villa on the popular ITV reality dating show. The 33-year-old was introduced as the series’ first bombshell during Monday’s episode, leaving fans divided on social media.
While some fans hailed Joey’s entrance as iconic, others argued that the dating show should be reserved for “normal people” and not celebrities. However, in an interview with The Sun newspaper, Joey revealed that he had applied to be on the show of his own accord and had not been approached by the producers.
Despite the mixed reactions from fans, several major betting firms have already backed Joey to win the series, which will be broadcast over the next eight weeks. Joey, who rose to fame on The Only Way is Essex (TOWIE) in 2011, has since appeared on a number of reality shows, including Dancing on Ice, Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, and I’m A Celeb.
This isn’t Joey’s first foray into reality dating shows, as he has previously appeared on Celebrity Ex on the Beach, Celebs Go Dating, and its spin-off Celebs Go Dating: The Mansion. In 2021, he also made a documentary for the BBC exploring grief and the impact of his mother’s death when he was just 10 years old.
As Joey enters the Love Island villa, he declared himself the “king of Essex” and expressed his readiness to find his queen. With a history of high-profile relationships, including rumors of romances with Rita Ora and former Love Islander Maura Higgins, Joey is sure to shake things up in the villa.
The latest season of Love Island has already seen a shake-up in the way couples are matched, with contestants ranking each other based on who they see as the most boyfriend or girlfriend material. The episode also marked a milestone for the show, as it was broadcast on ITV1 for the first time in the main summer edition.
Despite the initial controversy surrounding Joey’s entrance, the show’s ratings have seen a boost, with about 2 million viewers tuning in for Monday’s episode. As the drama unfolds in the Love Island villa, fans can expect more surprises and twists in the coming weeks.
