Joey Essex, a reality TV star known for “The Only Way Is Essex,” has joined Love Island as its inaugural celebrity participant. The 33-year-old is participating in the show in hopes of finding his life partner, as he is currently single.
The ITV dating series made its comeback on Monday, welcoming new contestants to the villa in Majorca, Spain. Host Maya Jama, dressed in white, greeted the contestants and introduced Joey, who proclaimed himself as “the king of Essex” in search of his “queen.”
Essex’s participation was kept under wraps by ITV bosses after he chose to apply for the show. He expressed his excitement and anticipation to The Sun, stating his aim to leave the villa with his love interest.
Essex has previously appeared on various shows including “I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!,” “Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins,” “Celebrity MasterChef,” “Celebs Go Dating,” and “Dancing On Ice.”
Before introducing Essex, Jama asked the contestants to rank each other based on their first impressions, which would determine their pairings. The couples formed included Mimii Ngulube and Munveer Jabbal; Nicole Samuel and Sean Stone; Samantha Kenny and Sam Taylor; Harriett Blackmore and Ciaran Davies; Jess White and Ronnie Vint; and Ayo Odukoya and Patsy Field.
Patsy, born with Erb’s palsy, disclosed that she shares her bed with her mother due to lack of space at home. In another part of the episode, Ciaran confessed to having been involved with a woman over 40 when he was 18.
Love Island will continue airing at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX on Tuesday.
