Joey Essex facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joey Essex
Essex in 2017
Born	Joey Donald Essex (1990-07-29) 29 July 1990 (age 35) Southwark, London, England
Occupation	Television personality
Years active	2011–present

Joey Donald Essex (born 29 July 1990) is an English television star. He became famous after appearing on the ITV reality show The Only Way is Essex from 2011 to 2013.

Since then, Joey has been a contestant on many popular reality shows. These include Splash!, I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, The Jump, and Celebs Go Dating. More recently, he has appeared on Dancing on Ice in 2023 and Love Island in 2024.

Early Life and School

Joey Essex grew up in London, England. He went to West Hatch High School in Chigwell, Essex. He left school in 2006 with GCSE qualifications in Art, Drama, and Design & Technology.

Ten years later, for a TV show, he took another exam in General Studies. After getting his result, he joked, "I still don't really know what GCSE stands for."

Television Career

Joey Essex's career on television is filled with many popular shows. He is best known for being a reality TV star.

The Only Way Is Essex

Joey first appeared on The Only Way Is Essex (often called TOWIE) in its second series. He joined his cousin, Chloe Sims, as a supporting cast member. He was so popular that he became a main cast member in the third series. In 2011, the cast of TOWIE even released a song called "Reem". Joey left the show in November 2013 to try new things.

Reality Show Competitions

After TOWIE, Joey became a favorite on competition-style reality shows.

In 2013, he competed in the diving show Splash!. Later that year, he went into the jungle for the thirteenth series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. He was very popular with viewers and finished in fourth place.

In 2015, Joey took part in The Jump, a winter sports reality show on Channel 4. He did so well that he won the entire series.

In 2023, he showed off his skating skills on the fifteenth series of Dancing on Ice, where he finished in second place.

Dating and Adventure Shows

Joey has also looked for love and adventure on TV. From 2016, he was a regular on the E4 dating show Celebs Go Dating. He also appeared on Celebrity Ex on the Beach in 2020 and Celebs Go Dating: The Mansion in 2021.

In 2020, he tested his strength and courage on Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins. In 2022, he traveled to Australia to be a contestant on the Australian version of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!.

Essex (left) with Lorena Medina at the National Television Awards in 2020.

Educating Joey Essex

In 2014, Joey starred in his own show called Educating Joey Essex. In the show, he traveled to different places, like South Africa, to learn about the world. The show was a hit, and a full series was made. One special episode was about The Queen's 90th birthday.

Love Island

In June 2024, Joey made a surprise entrance into the Love Island villa. He was the first celebrity to ever join the popular dating show as a contestant.

Other Work

Besides television, Joey Essex has also been involved in business and sports.

Business Ventures

In 2013, Joey launched his own line of hair products called D'Reem Hair. In the same year, he opened a shop called Fusey in Brentwood, which closed in 2016. He also released two fragrances: an aftershave called Fusey and a perfume called My Girl. In 2017, he launched a clothing line called DAFDEA.

Boxing

Joey Essex has also shown an interest in boxing. He is scheduled to have his first official match against Portuguese influencer Numeiro. The fight is set to take place on August 30, 2025, at the Manchester Arena.

Personal Life

While on TOWIE, Joey was in a well-known relationship with fellow cast member Sam Faiers. They were engaged for a short time in 2013.

When Joey was ten years old, his mother died. He has spoken about how this affected him in a BBC Three documentary called Joey Essex: Grief and Me, which was shown in 2021. Since 2014, he has been an ambassador for the charity Child Bereavement UK, which helps children who have lost a loved one.

In 2023, Joey moved to Dubai.

Filmography