The former TOWIE star, 23, and Natasha the chimp, hailed the world’s most intelligent, met while he was filming his new show Educating Joey Essex.
Natasha, also 23, lives at the Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary in Uganda and can communicate with humans via sign language.
Speaking to a UK newspaper, Joey admitted asking Natasha out on a date after he ‘felt a connection.’
He said: “There’s an island full on chimps. You know, proper mad ones that scream. It was hilarious.
“I met the cleverest chimp in the world. She was called Natasha. She could open doors, remember buttons to press, things like that. I spent time with her separately as all the other ones went off for like a run or whatever.”
Natasha even gave Joey a present, he said: “She could do sign language and she painted a picture for me. It’s just like a messy painting.”
Educating Joey Essex sees him going to Africa to be taught everything about the African culture and wildlife, and he claims there was definitely a connection between him and Natasha.
“There is a connection,” he said. “What have they got the same as us, 98 per cent DNA? That’s mad innit?”
**Educating Joey Essex is on ITV2 Sunday at 9pm. Watch the hilarious trailer and let us know what you think via the comments box below! **