Love Island is known for keeping things interesting with surprise new contestants. Whether it’s an ex showing up or a familiar face from past seasons hoping to find love again, the show always has a twist up its sleeve.
The show first brought back Adam Collard in 2022, four years after he initially appeared. Since then, they’ve also reintroduced Kady McDermott and, most recently, Joey Essex to the villa.
Joey’s arrival at the villa was unusual, as he wasn’t connected to anyone already on Love Island and was already well-known. It immediately caused drama because his ex-girlfriend, Grace Jackson, was also a contestant.
Joey’s time on Love Island caused a lot of drama, as always – and it seems likely this season will follow the same pattern.
Lewis Evans, a supervising executive producer for Love Island, told TopMob and other media outlets that while some celebrities have reached out about being on the show, the producers don’t currently plan to introduce a contestant as disruptive as Joey was in a previous season.
Despite some challenges, commissioning editor Amanda Stavri was hopeful about finding the right actor. She explained that they were keeping an open mind throughout the casting process, not wanting to rule anyone out. Ultimately, Joey was the perfect fit at the right time, and the fact that his former girlfriend, Grace, was already cast also played a role in the decision.
Viewers often criticized Joey’s time on the show, believing he was there to create conflict, even though he did have a short-lived romance.
Love Island’s creative director, Mike Spencer, recently spoke with TopMob about why Joey was chosen to be on the show. He also addressed and refuted claims that Joey was a pre-selected favorite or received payment for participating in the 2024 series.
Spencer said he’s been friends with Joey for a long time and thought Joey’s surprise appearance was really cool.
Joey’s been searching for a relationship, and it seems like he’s finally found it with Jessy. I think the show used this storyline in a clever way to engage viewers.
He pointed out that Joey was treated the same as all the other contestants on the island, and his celebrity status didn’t give him any special advantages.
There’s been a lot of talk about whether he’s being paid to be on the show, but that’s not true. He genuinely wants to find love, and he’s at the age where he’s ready to settle down. Taking away phones and distractions was a good idea, because despite being a public figure, this environment allows him to just be himself – Joey – and I think he really needed that.
I believe it gave the series a great, new start, and audiences really responded well to that.
Love Island returns on Monday 1 June at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.
Don’t miss Love Island! Add it to your watchlist on the TopMob: What to Watch app. Download the app now for daily TV suggestions, articles, and more.
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I really enjoy following Katelyn Mensah’s work at TopMob! She’s the Senior Entertainment Writer there and keeps me up-to-date on everything – from the biggest shows and reality TV to really impactful documentaries. I knew she had a great eye for a story even when she was writing about reality TV and showbiz news at The Tab, and it’s no surprise she’s doing so well – she’s got a Journalism degree too!
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2026-05-29 11:42