Joey Essex reveals ‘real reason’ he's doing Love Island as he joins the show aged 33

ok.co.uk:

The biggest shock on the launch night of the new season of Love Island was undoubtedly the arrival of Joey Essex, who became the first ever celebrity bombshell as he entered the villa looking for love.The former star of TOWIE has been a mainstay of reality TV since he first appeared in the classic Essex based show in 2011, most recently appearing in the 2023 series of Dancing on Ice, where he finished second.

Speaking about why he chose to sign up for the dating series, Joey said: “I just want someone to like me for me and now from what they see on TV.This is exactly why I’m going into the villa because you’re disconnected from the rest of the world and can focus on what actually matters on a far deeper level." Joey has had well-known girlfriends in the past, including TOWIE co star Sam Faiers, model Lorena Medina, Love Island’s Ellie Brown and US socialite Stephanie Pratt, and he has also been linked to Rita Ora and Amy Willerton.

He now hopes to find true love in the villa. “I’m extremely single right now, so I’m praying that I’m going to walk out of the villa hand in hand with the love of my life, that’s my main aim and all I care about,” he told The Sun. “It’s difficult for me to meet girls on the outside as they judge me based on a persona, so I think this experience will allow for people to see the real me." While Joey insists he applied to take part like everyone else – rather than being approached by Love Island bosses – he did have to be careful not to be spotted when he travelled to the show’s sunny location. “It felt like a military operation,” he said.