Joey Essex made a name for himself by appearing hit realty TV show The Only Way is Essex – but now he's taking on a very different challenge. The Essex favourite is heading to the remote Scottish island Raasay for new series of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins. Having been in the public eye a number of years, it may seem that most of Joey's life was played out on television, from relationships to public break-ups, but before his rise to fame Joey didn't exactly have the easiest start.
Joey Essex's childhood
The reality star tragically lost his mum Tina at the age of ten to suicide. Tina sadly suffered mental health issues caused by candida, a yeast imbalance in the gut that can lead to a number of other health problems such as depression. The 29-year-old and his sister Frankie, who is three years older and also appeared on TOWIE, were brought up by their Dad, Donny. Joey has previously opened up about the impact of the loss of his mum.
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© Photo: InstagramJoey's mum tragically died when he was just ten years old
Speaking in his biography, Being Reem, Joey explained: "Some people reckoned I stopped learning because of what happened to my mum. Almost like I froze in time. I don't know about that but I remember it hitting me really hard." Initially, Joey and his sister were told their mum had fallen and tragically died, but they would come to learn the sad truth that she had taken her own life.
Joey is appearing on Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins
Joey Essex rise to fame
Despite his tragic loss, Joey has since gone on to enjoy great success in his career. In 2011, Joey joined TOWIE for its second series as a supporting cast member alongside his cousin Chloe Sims. However, due to his popularity, Joey then continued in the show as a main star of the show. He was well-known for coining the term 'Reem' and for dating fellow reality star Sam Faiers.
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© Photo: Getty ImagesJoey was engaged to fellow TOWIE star Sam Faiers
Joey Essex after TOWIE
Since TOWIE, Joey went on to star in a number of other TV shows such as Splash!, I'm a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, and Celebs Go Dating. He's now set to appear on Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins alongside other celebrities such as Anthea Turner and Brendan Cole. Joey has also been an ambassador for Child Bereavement UK since 2014.
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