Joey Essex reportedly had to travel to Love Island on a ferry as show bosses tried to keep the fact he was entering the villa a secret.
The TOWIE star made a surprise appearance during the launch show of the new series on Monday (June 3), turning up at the end of the episode. His arrival had been under wraps, and the other Islanders and viewers were all stunned as he strutted into the villa.
It has now emerged that while the rest of the singles jetted out to Majorca to join the ITV dating show, Joey was sneaked over to the island on a ferry. According to the MailOnline, “every precaution” was taken to keep the signing quiet.
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Joey told The Sun before entering the villa that keeping the secret left him feeling “like Joey Bond”, quipping: “The name’s Essex, Joey Essex.” He added: “It felt like a military operation, not even the journey itself but the process of even getting through the application and to this point.”
(Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
“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 – whose other TV credits include Dancing On Ice, I’m A Celebrity, The Jump and pretty much every reality show going – also shared that he is “extremely single” at the moment. And he said he is hoping to leave the villa having found the love of his life.
(Image: joeyessex/Instagram)
His arrival shocked viewers, who flocked to X to share their surprise. “Wait, what???” one person posted on X, as another remarked: “My jaw never hit the deck as fast as that in my life. Joey Essex on Love Island? I’m genuinely gobsmacked.”
“Joey Essex?! I’m howling,” someone else wrote. Another fan exclaimed: “JOEY ESSEX?!??! Are you winding me up?!!!!?”
(Image: @joeyessex/Instagram)
Others predicted that the TV star would add a lot to the series. One predicted: “JOEY ESSEX? This is going to be the best Love Island series yet.”
“I know for fact Joey will bring drama, I love this,” said another excited fan.
But one warned: “Joey being there is gonna change the whole dynamics… personalities that could have blossomed will dim… I ain’t here for it.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
