Joey Essex: who is the reality TV and former TOWIE star set to appear on ITV’s Dancing on Ice?

ITV’s figure skating contest Dancing on Ice is set to make a return to our screens next weekend.

Eleven celebrities including Patsy Palmer and Michelle Heaton have been gearing up for the first live show on Saturday 14 January, where they will face the four judges, Jayne Torvill, Christopher Dean, Ashley Banjo and Oti Mabuse.

With the first live show just around the corner this year’s contestants have been intensely training to ensure they’re figure skating skills are up to scratch.

The reality show is beginning its 15th season after previously crowning winners such as last year’s Regan Gascoigne and others such as Joe Swash and Ray Quinn.

Who is Joey Essex?

Joey Essex is one of the eleven celebrities that has signed up to learn how to figure skate for this year’s Dancing on Ice.

Joey was born in Southwark on 29 July 1990 before moving to Chigwell in Essex.

He attended West Hatch High School in Chigwell and left school with a U in Drama, C in Art and D in Wood Tech.

What is Joey Essex known for?

Joey Essex rose to fame when he appeared on the reality television show The Only Way is Essex in 2011 with his cousin Chole Sims.

Although he joined as a supporting cast member, he was quickly promoted to the main cast and became a firm fan favourite.

Joey has since appeared on several reality television programmes including I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, Educating Joey Essex and Celebs Go Dating.

Does Joey Essex have a girlfriend?

Joey Essex’s love life has been in the public eye since 2011 and includes his two engagements to fellow The Only Way is Essex star Sam Faiers.

The couple separated on-screen during an episode of the reality television show in 2013 following several arguments.

Although it is not confirmed whether he has a new girlfriend, the reality television star was seen kissing Love Island star Maura at the Pride of Britain Awards in October.

What happened to Joey Essex and Lorena Medina?

Joey Essex and Lorena Medina met on the set of Celebrity Ex on the Beach in 2020 and the couple quickly hit things off.

In September the Mexican model moved to the UK to live in Joey Essex’s Chigwell home.

She even called the reality star the “love of my life” and revealed the couple had discussed marriage and children.

However, a series of rows was followed by the TOWIE star pictured leaving pop singer Rita Ora’s house in the morning after a night out.

The Mexican model was quick to call the relationship off telling The Sun at the time: “I knew Joey had spent the night out because I had talked to him when he was in the cab on the way back to Essex.

"He told me, ‘I had a crazy night and I stayed at my friend’s’ and that was fine. But he didn’t tell me it was a girl and he didn’t mention Rita Ora. I told Joey, ‘This s*** can’t happen. Are you crazy?”

She also said that during that conversation the pair had agreed to go their separate ways and had not spoken since.