Who is Joey Essex? Meet the first Love Island bombshell

Love Island fans were surprised to see the famous reality TV star Joey Essex appear on the hit show as a contestant. This unexpected twist featured in the premiere episode was not anticipated by viewers.

As fans are aware, Joey has been a star since his debut on The Only Way is Essex in 2011, followed by his appearance on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! season 13. The 33-year-old Southwark native also participated in season 1 of Splash!

As per the clip posted to the Love Island YouTube channel on Monday, June 3, 2024, Joey shocked the 12 islanders and residents of the villa by revealing himself as the first bombshell this season. He introduced himself as the "king of Essex" on the hunt for love.

"I'm Joey, I'm 33 and I'm looking for love. I am the king of Essex and I am ready to find my queen. This isn't my first rodeo, boys you better watch out, Im coming for your girl," Joey said.

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Joey Essex joins the cast of Love Island UK season 11

Fans are excited to see whether Joey Essex will find true love in the Love Island UK season 11 villa. It will be interesting to see his strategy in the game because he is a seasoned individual who has appeared on several reality television shows.

Joey previously won The Jump in 2013 and appeared twice on Celebs Go Dating. He also joined the cast of Celebrity Ex on the Beach and Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins. Moreover, fans might know the new Love Island celebrity from Celebrity MasterChef.

Joey Essex appeared on Dancing on Ice last year and secured a runner up position in the 15th season. Viewers were shocked to see Joey making a comeback and giving a treat to his fans with a new appearance on the latest season of Love Island UK. He shared what the experience of returning to reality TV was like and how difficult it was to keep his appearance a secret from the audience.

“I feel like Joey Bond, the name’s Essex, Joey Essex. It felt like a military operation, not even the journey itself but the process of even getting through the application and to this point. 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," Joey told The Sun on Monday.

Joey also made sure the viewers knew his intention behind joining Love Island UK was to find his one true love, as dating has been a hard experience for him. The Jump winner revealed that women were drawn to his social media presence, online persona, or fame, and that he was looking for someone who knew him for his personality.

“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. 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.”

To see more of Joey Essex, stream Love Island UK season 11 on ITV.