He entered the Love Island villa as the first ever celebrity bombshell in a bid to spice up the dating show. But Joey Essex’s stint went down like a lead balloon, with many fans claiming the veteran reality TV star has ruined his career.
Now sources close to the 33-year-old – who has been hit with bullying accusations – tell Closer that it’s been a disastrous move, and even his family have been left disappointed by his behaviour.
“Love Island hasn’t been good for Joey – he’s been all over the shop and made himself look a prize prat. The show was meant to be a big break for him – to boost his career and profile – but instead, he’s taken a golden opportunity and messed it right up. It’s been more of a cringe fest and people have turned their backs on him after his shenanigans,” says our insider.
“His family are gutted he’s come across so badly – he’s so much better than that. It hasn’t been an easy watch for them and there were moments they wanted to hide behind a pillow. His family have always had his back but, this time, they can’t excuse what everyone has seen. They don’t know what’s gotten into him. He acted like a kid in a sweet shop. They’re naturally upset – they don’t recognise this Joey and they’re embarrassed. But he’s only got himself to blame.”
Joey certainly ruffled feathers during his time on the ITV2 series. After originally being coupled up with Samantha Kenny, Joey soon moved on when former fling Grace Jackson entered the villa. However, things didn’t work out between the pair, and his head was turned once again, this time by current flame Jessy Potts. As well as being criticised for the way he treated Samantha and Grace, Joey was also accused of bullying other cast members, including winners Mimii Ngulube and Josh Oyinsan, which resulted in nearly 2,000 Ofcom complaints.
Breaking his silence last week, Joey denied being a bully and revealed that he felt that he needed to create drama for the producers. He said, “To carry the show on and keep it going, I was needed in a lot of situations to help the storyline progress. I mean, I need a medic right now – my back is killing me because I carried that show so hard.”
He added, “I’d switch it on. I’d do my scene. If I was involved in someone else’s stuff, it’s because I’ve been pulled in and dragged into that situation. I’ve done what I’ve done because I’m filming a television show.”
But when it comes to his future, our source says things are looking uncertain for the former TOWIE star. “I’m not sure what Joey expects is going to happen now – the backlash isn’t going to be pretty,” they add. “Joey will be lucky to keep or even get a girlfriend after this.”
