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Joey Essex boasts a track record on various reality and dating television programs.

Joey Essex, known for his appearances on various reality and dating TV shows, made headlines as the first celebrity to step into the Love Island villa on the ITV reality dating series. In a dramatic twist during Monday's premiere episode, the 33-year-old was unveiled as the show's inaugural bombshell. Reactions from fans were mixed, with some hailing it as iconic while others argued that the dating show should feature "normal people" rather than celebrities. However, Joey clarified in an interview with The Sun newspaper that he had applied independently and hadn't been approached by the show's producers.

Following his entrance, several major betting firms swiftly backed him to emerge victorious in the series, slated to air over the next eight weeks.

Joey gained initial fame in 2011 on The Only Way is Essex (TOWIE), where he popularized the catchphrase "reem" and occasionally displayed surprising gaps in general knowledge. Since then, he has appeared on various reality shows including Dancing on Ice, Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, and I'm A Celeb. Love Island isn't his first foray into reality dating, as he has previously featured on Celebrity Ex on the Beach, Celebs Go Dating, and its spin-off Celebs Go Dating: The Mansion.

In 2021, he delved into more serious content with a BBC documentary exploring grief and its impact on him following the death of his mother, who tragically took her own life when he was 10. Regarding his romantic life, Joey has been linked to high-profile figures such as Rita Ora and former Love Island contestant Maura Higgins. He has been engaged twice before to TOWIE co-star Sam Faiers but currently describes himself as "extremely single," as stated in The Sun.

Stepping into the Mallorca villa, Joey declared himself the "king of Essex" and expressed his readiness to find his queen. Confidently, he stated, "This isn't my first rodeo. Boys, you better watch out - I'm coming for your girls."

Monday marked the launch of the eleventh series of Love Island, following an All Stars edition earlier in the year where previous contestants returned for another shot at love. While viewing figures have seen a decline since the show's peak years of 2017 to 2019, the season finale still attracted over 1 million viewers, down from the 6 million-plus peak in 2019. However, ITV reported that Monday's premiere garnered the best ratings in two years, drawing in approximately 2 million viewers, up from 1.3 million in 2023.

For this series, a social media ban has been reinstated, meaning islanders' friends and family cannot post on their behalf while they are in the villa. BBC Newsbeat reported that the same rules apply to Joey, whose social media accounts, boasting 1.8 million followers on Instagram and nearly 3 million on X, have been paused.

Former Love Island contestants have been reacting to Joey's entrance, with last year's winter edition winner Kai Fagan calling it "madness." Kai, who recently got engaged to Sanam Harrinanan, his partner from the series, remarked on Joey's extensive reality TV experience, spanning shows like Essex, First Dates, Celebs Go Dating, I’m a Celeb, and now Love Island. Joshua Ritchie, a participant in the 2015 season and an All Stars returnee, expressed skepticism for the other lads in the villa, suggesting they "may as well call it a day" against Joey. However, series eight islander Tasha Ghouri viewed the bombshell announcement as "iconic."

In addition to Joey's entrance, the new series introduced a twist in how couples were formed, with producers changing the traditional method. Instead of solely basing their choices on physical attraction, contestants ranked each other based on who they perceived as the most suitable boyfriend or girlfriend material. Subsequently, they were paired with the boy or girl who ranked similarly to them.

The episode also marked a first for the main summer edition of the show, airing on ITV1. However, for its second episode on Tuesday, Love Island will return to its usual slots on ITV2 and ITVX. Meanwhile, ITV1 will host a leadership debate between Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.