Joey Essex returns to job before TOWIE after Jessy Potts split

Joey has gone back to his roots after Love Island 2024

joey essex and jessy potts

by Eden-OIivia Lord |
Published

We're not going to lie, before this year TOWIE's Joey Essex wasn't someone we thought about daily.

Sure he's been on literally every single reality TV show (his management could seriously give Kris Jenner a run for her money), but any time we thought of him we'd think of his iconic TOWIE days.

Remember his relationship with Sam Faiers? Or when he wore his watch around his ankle? LOL.

towie joey essex
joey was iconic on towie ©Imago

Well, now it looks like we're not the only ones reminiscing about his early days because he's only been spotted at his old work place. As in, before he was on TOWIE.

On Instagram he posted a video of himself driving to Billingsgate Market and wrote alongside the clip, 'Remember where you came from.

'In life we all have to start somewhere. Never give up.'

joey essex billingsgate market
joey went back to his roots ©Instagram / joeyessex

Now, if you didn't know before fame Joey worked at Billingsgate Market in London with his dad.

The Essex star briefly opened up about life before TOWIE on his documentary Joey Essex: Grief and Me.

'I was 20 when I went on TOWIE and my life changed,' he explained.

'I was just a fish market boy working on a fish market, I didn't know what was going on it was like I was dreaming.'

joey essex amy childs and harry derbidge
harry and amy are back on towie, let's petition for joey to return too ©Imago

Fast forward to now and he's pretty much been on every single reality TV show in the UK and he's even starred on Australia's version of I'm A Celeb.

However it's probably his stint on Love Island this year that left us all shocked. When he walked into the villa as the first bombshell of series 11 our jaws were literally on the floor.

Let's just say he definitely lived up to the producers expectations. He dropped Samantha Kenny out as soon as his ex Grace Jackson arrived, he wouldn't stop banging on about Mimii Ngulube's 'secret mission' and then bizarrely he voted his BFF Sean Stone and Matilda Draper as one of the least compatible couples just before the final.

It was rogue but say what you want about Joey Essex, he knows how to put on a show.

love island jessy and joey
jessy and joey have split ©ITV

And days after appearing at the NTAs together, Joey and Jessy Potts announced they'd split.

Confirming the news, Joey told The Sun, 'Unfortunately, we have decided to call an end to the relationship but I hope we can continue to be friends.

'I truly wish Jessy the very best with whatever she does in the future.'

He's since appeared on Selling Sunset (although that was filmed before his villa stint), Big Brother 2024 and our money is on him returning to the villa for All Stars 2025.

WATCH: Jack Fincham, Chris Hughes And Joey Essex Reveal Their Christmas And New Year Plans

Eden-Olivia is the deputy editor of Closer Online and she’s worked in showbiz since 2016. She has been obsessed with TOWIE since the first series in 2010 but her favourite ever cast member is Megan McKenna. Remember her infamous row with Chloe Lewis and Lydia Bright? Iconic.

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