Joey Essex is doing well in Dancing on Ice 2023, but who is he?
The TOWIE star, 32, is partnered up with German figure skater Vanessa Bauer on this year’s competition.
But what do we know about reality TV star Joey?
Is Joey Essex his real name and what’s his net worth?
Although it might sound like a super-apt stage name, Joey Essex is actually what he’s legally called.
After his rise to fame on The Only Way Is Essex, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was a nod to the county the show is based in.
But to confuse matters further, Joey Donald Essex is actually from Southwark in London.
He has, however, lived in Essex for a long time.
How much is Dancing On Ice star Joey Essex worth?
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Joey’s estimated fortune sits at £7 million.
Although he’s not presented as the brightest, he’s obviously got his head screwed on when it comes to his finances.
He’s been a regular on reality TV since his TOWIE days.
Joey raked in the cash on shows such as The Jump, I’m A Celebrity, Celebrity MasterChef and Educating Joey Essex.
Asked if he was rich enough to retire, Joey once quipped: “I guess I could, but I feel like it depends how much you enjoy your job.
“I quite enjoy my job, so it’s never really about the money, it’s always about keeping myself busy and just being happy.”
View this post on Instagram
Can Joey Essex tell the time?
Some shocking news emerged about Joey while he was on I’m A Celebrity in 2013. During an episode of the reality show, he admitted he couldn’t tell the time.
Luckily, model Amy Willerton was on hand to teach him the basic life skill.
Making a DIY clock on the ground, she set about explaining the big and little hands to Joey.
An unreceptive Joey told her: “It’s so much easier to look at your phone though, isn’t it?”
Miss Universe GB star Amy replied: “You ought to remember, if you want to go and buy a nice watch, like a nice designer watch, people will come up to you and say: ‘Joey, what’s the time?'”
He responded: “I’ve got a watch, but watches are more like fashion, in’t they?”
Joey added: “My watch ain’t got numbers on it.”
And at a later date, he explained to The Mirror where it all started – at school.
Joey said: “I remember my teacher pulling a sheet out once and it had all these clocks on it.
“I looked at the paper and thought, I don’t want to tell the time and I can’t be bothered to tell the time. I told my teacher that – and I was only young. She was like: ‘What do you mean?’ I told her I just don’t like it.
“Ever since then. I just could never tell the time.”
Why did Dancing On Ice star Joey Essex break up with Lorena?
Joey and Lorena Medina met on Celebrity Ex on the Beach, spending a year together. But Lorena called time on their relationship after Joey went on a night out with Rita Ora.
According to Heat, she told The Sun: “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.”
Lorena went on: “I told Joey: ‘This [bleep] can’t happen. Are you crazy? How would you feel if I spent the night with some guy?’
“I was very upset and was like ‘[blank] this, I don’t trust you, I don’t trust what you are saying.'”
The pair haven’t spoken since.
Who is Dancing On Ice star Joey Essex dating now?
Joey has quite an extensive dating history!
He’s been linked with models and reality TV stars including Ellie Brown from Love Island and Stephanie Pratt from The Hills.
More recently, he was rumoured to have been dating Love Island’s Maura Higgins after they shared a kiss at the Pride of Britain awards last October.
But Maura put an abrupt end to those rumours.
Posting on Twitter, she reacted to a headline which read: “Maura Higgins and Joey Essex ‘smitten’ after secret dates before public snog.”
Maura wrote: “More rubbish,” next to a yawning emoji.
His Dancing On Ice partner, pro Vanessa has already had to bat down rumours of a romance with Joey.
However, after being put on the spot live on the show he appeared to confirm rumours that they are an item!
Will Joey Essex return to TOWIE?
Fans of the reality star are always wondering if he’d ever return to the show that made him famous.
Speaking to OK! in 2022, Joey says if he ever did go back, he would “bring back a lot of entertainment”, adding it would increase ratings.
He said: “When I get asked that, I do normally say: ‘That ship has probably sailed’ and stuff.
“But now, no, never.”
He added: “The show is just so far gone from when I was on it – there wouldn’t be a place for me any more. I wouldn’t know who to talk to or hang out with, and none of the drama would be centred around me.”
Joey Essex on his Dancing On Ice competitors
Speaking about the rest of the line-up for 2023, Joey said: “I wouldn’t say there is anyone I’m scared to be up against. I beat Louie Spence at Lip Sync Battle and Mike Tindall at The Jump – no one scares me!
“You could be a professional dancer, I will beat you. You could be a rugby player, I’m going to beat you. I’d probably be more scared of an underdog, someone like myself!” he admitted.
Joey also declared he isn’t asking anyone for advice about the skating show.
“I’m going to be fresh out of the water, if that is a quote? And then I’m going to be fresh on the ice!”
Read more: First look as this year’s Dancing On Ice stars hit the ice – literally!
Are you looking forward to seeing Joey on Dancing on Ice? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think.