Love Island enthusiasts are convinced that Joey Essex might not be genuine about his feelings for Samantha Kenny, spotting what they consider to be a significant hint.
In tonight’s episode of the ITV2 reality series, Joey, 33, seemingly disregarded the advances of Samantha, 27, in a notable manner. During a flirtatious exchange, Samantha remarked, “We’re the king and queen of the villa,” to which Joey responded with a lukewarm, “Yeah, I feel like the king.”
Fans took to social media, expressing their discontent over what they perceived as a “snub.” One frustrated viewer tweeted, “King and Queen of the villa? Samantha is delulu if she thinks Joey actually likes her.” Another echoed this sentiment, stating, “‘I feel like we’re king and queen of the villa’ ‘yeah, I feel like I’m the king’ ‘we’re like the mum and dad of the villa’ ‘yeah, I feel like I’m the king’ looooool Joey doesn’t rate that girl at all.”
Amidst the uproar, another fan expressed disbelief, writing, “Samantha is so delusional. Joey does not like her and she thinks she’s the queen of the villa? I need someone to come in and snatch him up to humble her.” Meanwhile, a skeptical viewer concluded, “You cannot convince me Joey is here for love, that man has been on every British reality show there is. He just wants that check.”
Joey’s entrance into the villa last week brought immediate drama when he was tasked with coupling up with one of the girls, resulting in the departure of one of the boys. Choosing Samantha Kenny led to the departure of fellow contestant Sam Taylor. However, the arrival of another bombshell, Uma Jammeh, stirred further complications, particularly when she kissed every male contestant upon entering the villa, unsettling Joey’s partnership with Samantha.
Joey’s reality TV journey began with his appearance on The Only Way Is Essex in 2011, followed by stints on shows like I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here, Splash!, Ex On The Beach, and others. He remains a popular figure in British reality television, having appeared in numerous shows and even having his own series, such as Educating Joey Essex and Joey Essex: Grief and Me.