Joey Essex’s relatives are reeling from his unexpected appearance on Love Island. The reality TV personality, renowned for his various reality show appearances, caught everyone off guard with his surprise debut as the inaugural bombshell on the hit dating series.
Despite his claim of seeking a life partner on the island, Joey, 33, managed to keep his Mallorcan escapade under wraps, even from his close-knit family circle, including his cousin and former co-star, Chloe Sims.
Chloe took to Instagram to share her astonishment, revealing that she found out about Joey’s Love Island stint at the same time as the public reveal. During an Instagram story session while in Los Angeles, she addressed her million followers, expressing her excitement: “It’s bedtime in LA, but I’m thrilled.”
She continued, “I’m a huge Love Island fan, and Joey’s on it! I found out when everyone else did, by the way. It was a surprise to me too. What a twist! I’m annoyed I’m not back there to watch it.”
Frustrated at missing out on witnessing Joey’s Love Island journey live from the UK, she added, “I’ll have to wait until I get back to London, but I’m too excited to sleep. I just can’t wait to catch up on it,”.
Meanwhile, Joey’s sister, Frankie Essex, 36, opened up about her brother’s romantic life and experience on the show in an interview with The Sun. She shared, “Joey is genuinely single right now. But he’s seen me with the kids, and they adore him. They sit on his lap, and he’s just mesmerised by them. I feel like it’s his time now to settle down.”
In the villa, Joey wasted no time charming the ladies. By the end of Tuesday night’s episode, he had his sights set on Samantha, leaving her current partner Sam Taylor single.
The situation took a dramatic turn when Sam realised Joey’s decision meant his immediate departure from the island. Tears flowed as emotions ran high in the villa garden, with the Islanders grappling with Sam’s sudden exit, barely a day into their sun-drenched journey.