When Joey Essex left TOWIE in November - fans worried how the show would survive without him, but for the star hasn’t looked back since. He now has his own TV series, Educating Joey Essex, has signed to Select model agency and has released his first book, Being Reem. The sky is quite clearly the limit for the former I’m A Celebrity star.
But for Joey - who recently reunited with his on/off girlfriend Sam Faiers – work and romance are two very different things and he won’t be drawn into discussing rumours that the relationship is on the rocks again.
Joey tells Closer: “Sam and me are taking it slow, we are happy at the moment. I don’t want to label it.”
After the couple split late last year Joey grew close to beauty queen Amy Willerton on I’m A Celebrity. He recently revealed “frolicking” with Amy in an airplane toilet and in his new book he admits they had sex two days after leaving the jungle.
“Writing about what happened with Amy was my way putting the record straight,” the 23-year-old said. “There was a lot of speculation and stuff after we came out of the jungle. We had fun together. But we were never in a relationship, we are just friends.”
But there is no grey area when it comes to Joey’s love of clothes – and he’s never afraid to try out more risqué looks.
He says: “I love my fashion. I think I really suit Speedos, I’d like to model them. Not normal ones, but like, Versace ones or something.
“Since I wore them, short-short sales have gone right up, I’d like to do the same with Speedos. When you think of Speedos, who wears them? Tom Daley, but he’s a diver - no one else.
“Personally I think I look reem in them, I’m not afraid to wear them. It’s all about being a bit different.”
While Joey is often seen on screen as fun and jokey – he used his book as a way to express his sensitive and more serious side. The book touches on the tragedy that hit Joey when his mum, Tina, killed herself when he was just 10 years old, something he believes may have affected his ability to learn.
He says: “The book is just about my life, as a young boy living a normal life. My life was not all smiles growing up.
“Obviously I had dyslexia, and after the whole thing with my mum my life changed, and the book explains all of that.”
But one thing that Joey hasn’t struggled with is ambition – his schedule for the next few months is all about work.
He says: “I’ve just got back from Brazil, so I’ve been travelling a lot. It’s really hard work. I don’t want to give anything away, but we went all over Brazil. One day we were in Rio and the next we were in the jungle. I’ll be doing a few specials throughout the year – I’m going Patagonia next.”
But will Joey ever return to TOWIE? “Never say never,” he adds smiling.
Being Reem by Joey Essex is out now published by Hodder & Stoughton, £16.99