Joey Essex made history on Monday evening as the first celebrity to ever join the cast of singletons, who are otherwise unknown.
The reality star, 33, is best known for being one TOWIE’s original stars, as well as his stints on Dancing On Ice, Celebs Go Dating and I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!
And now it has been revealed that Joey, who has 1.8 million followers on Instagram, will be receiving the same earnings as the other Love Islanders and hasn’t been paid anything extra to appear on the ITV dating show.
The contestants usually receive around £375 a week to appear on the show to cover their rent and bills back at home while they are away, and Joey will receive the same.
A TV source told MailOnline: ‘Joey is being treated like any other Love Island contestant, he’s playing by the same rules and won’t be given any preferential treatment.
Joey Essex, who has 1.8 million followers on Instagram, will be receiving the same earnings as the other Love Islanders and hasn’t been paid anything extra to appear on the ITV dating show, MailOnline can reveal
A TV source told MailOnline: ‘Joey is being treated like any other Love Island contestant, he’s playing by the same rules and won’t be given any preferential treatment’
‘He hasn’t been paid an appearance fee or any money at all for signing up to the show, not a penny.
‘On Love Island, it is all about the exposure and for Joey, it means more than that too… He’s looking for someone to settle down with, so it’s not about the money he can make on the other side.’
Joey has said he is ‘looking for a wife in the villa’ after signing up to the show for the ‘right reasons.’
At 33-years-old he is the oldest contestant in the lineup, but sources close to the TV personality have revealed he doesn’t ‘need’ the exposure and is in the villa purely to find love.
A TV source told MailOnline: ‘Joey has signed up to Love Island for all the right reasons.
‘He’s 33 years old and really wants to find someone he can settle down with, he wants a wife and to have children one day.
‘Not many people know the real Joey, over the years he’s hidden behind his reality TV persona but being on Love Island will give him the opportunity to show his true self.
‘He doesn’t need fame, followers, or the prize money… He’s excited to meet someone and can’t wait to start dating.’
They added: ‘On Love Island, it is all about the exposure and for Joey, it means more than that too… He’s looking for someone to settle down with, so it’s not about the money he can make on the other side’
And Joey has wasted no time getting settled into the villa and has already snogged three bikini-clad beauties on his first day
Joey made Love Island history on Monday night when he became the first celebrity to join the cast of singletons, who are otherwise unknown
And Joey has wasted no time getting settled into the villa and has already snogged three bikini-clad beauties on his first day.
And while this might not make him very popular with the other men in the villa, he’s already been voted odds-on favourite to win.
During a game of dares in Tuesday’s upcoming episode, Joey found himself kissing Samantha Kenny, Harriett Blackmore and Nicole Samuel.
Joey, who found fame on The Only Way Is Essex in 2011, has become known for his reality TV exploits, which has seen him appear on over 10 shows.
And his love life has played out on a public scale, after his romance with former co-star Sam Faiers, 33, ended in heartbreak and he’s since failed to have a long-term relationship.
He’s dated the likes of model Amy Willerton, 31, after the two met in the Australian jungle, US reality star Stephanie Pratt, 38, following their joint appearance on Celebs Go Dating and Lorena Medina, 32, who starred alongside him on Ex on the Beach.
He was also rumoured to have a fling with his Dancing On Ice professional partner Vanessa Bauer, 28, after they performed together in 2023.
