Joey Essex made a name for himself by appearing hit realty TV show The Only Way is Essex – but now he's taking on a new challenge by heading to the Love Island villa in the hopes of finding the one.
Having been in the public eye a number of years, it may seem that most of Joey's life was played out on television, from relationships to public break-ups, but before his rise to fame Joey didn't exactly have the easiest start.
Joey Essex's childhood
The reality star tragically lost his mum Tina at the age of ten to suicide. Tina sadly suffered mental health issues caused by candida, a yeast imbalance in the gut that can lead to a number of other health problems such as depression. The 33-year-old and his sister Frankie, who is three years older and also appeared on TOWIE, were brought up by their dad, Donny. Joey has previously opened up about the impact of the loss of his mum.
© Photo: InstagramSpeaking in his biography, Being Reem, Joey explained: "Some people reckoned I stopped learning because of what happened to my mum. Almost like I froze in time. I don't know about that but I remember it hitting me really hard." I
Initially, Joey and his sister were told their mum had fallen and tragically died, but they would come to learn the sad truth that she had taken her own life.
In 2021, Joey filmed a BBC Three documentary, Joey Essex: Grief and Me, about the impact that his mother's death has had on him. In one heartbreaking moment, the TV star reflected: "My mum, she loved me but she left me. I just don't believe it. I think to myself: 'If she loved me that much why would she leave me.
"Imagine if I was with someone and I had kids with them and I really did love that person and then she left me. I wouldn't know what to do.
"I'm already thinking we're gonna break up before we're together. I'm pushing it away."
Joey Essex rise to fame
Despite his tragic loss, Joey has since gone on to enjoy great success in his career. In 2011, Joey joined TOWIE for its second series as a supporting cast member alongside his cousin Chloe Sims. However, due to his popularity, Joey then continued in the show as a main star of the show. He was well-known for coining the term 'Reem' and for dating fellow reality star Sam Faiers.
© Mark Robert MilanJoey Essex after TOWIE
Since TOWIE, Joey has starred in a number of other TV shows such as Splash!, I'm a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, and Celebs Go Dating. He's now appearing on the latest series of ITV dating show, Love Island.
© ITVJoey has also been an ambassador for Child Bereavement UK since 2014.
