Joey Essex: height, age, net worth, reality shows, past relationships explained as he enters 'Love Island'

‘Love Island’ viewers were shocked last night, when reality icon Joey Essex entered the villa as the first bombshell.

The original 12 contestants had barely had time to unpack and familiarise themselves with their new home for the next eight weeks when host Maya Jama told them she had news for them. She told them: “Well it’s good to see you’re all settled in, as you know you are in Love Island, you must always expect the unexpected. So please welcome Joey.” The TV star said he was “the king of Essex” who wanted to find his “queen”.

Essex has become the immediate favourite with bookie BetVictor to win ‘Love Island’ after his bombshell reveal in the villa last night (Monday June 3). The former ‘The Only Way Is Essex’ star is 11/4 at the top of the betting to be voted top male. So, here’s everything you need to know about the latest Love Islander to set hearts racing, including his height, age, net worth, reality TV credits, and his past girlfriends.

How tall is Joey Essex?

Joey Essex is 5ft 9 (176cm).

How old is Joey Essex?

Joey Essex is 33-years-old. He was born on July 29 1990 which means he will turn 34 this summer.

What is Joey Essex’s net worth?

Joey Essex’s net worth keeps increasing, owing to the impressive number of TV shows he appears on. His currrent net worth stands at around $10million (around £8million), according to Celebrity Net Worth.

What reality shows has Joey Essex been on?

Joey Essex is best known for his appearance ‘The Only Way is Essex’ (TOWIE), which he was in from 2011 to 2013. In 2013 he also participated in the thirteenth series of ‘I'm a Celebrity. . . Get Me Out of Here!’, where he finished in fourth place. Two years later, he won the ‘The Jump’ and in 2016 he was a contestant on ‘Celebs Go Dating’ before appearing on the first series of ‘Celebrity Ex on the Beach’ in 2020. In 2022, he had a second stint in the jungle when he was a contestant in the eighth series of the Australian version of ‘I'm a Celebrity. . . Get Me Out of Here!’, finishing in sixth place. Last year, he was the runner-up of the fifteenth series of ‘Dancing on Ice’.

He’s also made guest appearances on various other shows including ‘All Star Family Fortunes’ (2011), ‘8 out of 10 Cats’ (2011), Celebrity Juice (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020), ‘The Cube: Celebrity Special’ (2014), ‘Britain’s Got More Talent’ (2015) and Michael McIntyre's Big Show (2024).

Who has Joey Essex been in a relationship with?

Joey has dated a number of women in the last few years. His most high profile relationship was with TOWIE co-star Sam Faiers. The pair were one of the original couples from the series. They began dating in 2011 and soon became engaged, but they split up the following year. They reconciled later in 2012 and they became engaged again in March 2013. They broke up again in June 2013, during scenes that were broadcast on TOWIE. In October 2014, they said they had separated for good.

He was rumoured to be dating his ‘I'm A Celeb’ co-star Amy Willerton in 2013, but the union was short lived. In 2016, he met ‘Made In Chelsea’ star Stephanie Pratt while they were both appearing on ‘Celebs Go Dating’. They kissed in in Essex's swimming pool, but split after three months together.

He then briefly dated past Love Island star Ellie Brown, who shared a video of herself kissing him in November 2018. The pair's romance did not last long, but they met again during a celebrity edition of ‘Ex On The Beach’ the following year. It was on that show that Essex met his next partner, model Lorena Medina. The relationship appeared to be going well as she moved into his home in Chigwell, Essex, in September that year, but they split in February 2020 after Essex was photographed going in to singer Rita Ora’s home in the early hours of the morning. Essex and Ora have always denied there was a romantic connection between them, with Essex calling her a good friend.

In May 2020, Essex was introduced to his second model girlfriend, Brenda Santos. They dated for five months and she was reported to have also moved in to his Essex home. Essex was then rumoured to have had a brief romance with his ‘Dancing on Ice’ pro skater partner Vanessa Bauer during his time on the show in 2023, but they denied there was a romantic connection between them.