Joey Essex has announced a surprising new career move away from reality TV.
The Love Island and TOWIE star has revealed that he's currently "in talks for a big boxing fight" that will be "publicised for everyone to tune into and watch" if it goes ahead.
"I’m hoping we can get the deal done this year," he shared during a new interview with The Athlete Lifestyle On SI.
"I have been looking forward to it, but as of yet we just haven’t been able to solidify the logistics. But 2025 is the year of Joey Don Essex, and that’s all I can say!"
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Elsewhere in the interview, Joey revealed that he prepares for TV appearances as if he's "about to go into a sport".
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"I focus on becoming the best version of myself depending on how much time until the date of the show," he said.
"This includes eating clean, at times cutting down on alcohol, and sticking to a consistent fitness routine that allows time for recovery as well."
The reality star shocked fans last year when he appeared on Love Island, where he coupled up with Grace Jackson before recoupling with Jessy Potts.
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Earlier this week, Joey responded to a comment made about him to ex Grace on Love Island: All Stars.
Wednesday night's episode (February 5) of the reality show saw Grace in tears when it was revealed that Luca and Samie were being paired together.
While being comforted by her fellow contestants, one noted: "Sorry to say the J word, but he's not Joey. Do you know what I mean? He wouldn't entertain something if he didn't want to."
Joey then responded to the clip posted on the Love Island Instagram page, simply commenting an emoji with a shocked face.
Love Island airs on ITV2 and streams on ITVX.
Read more Love Island news on our dedicated homepage
Social Executive, Entertainment Portfolio After completing her joint honours degree in Journalism and English Literature at Cardiff University, Iona joined Digital Spy as a Content Production Intern in 2022, where she wrote across both news and features, specialising in TV and movies. Following her internship, Iona continued contributing to the site as a freelance reporter, becoming social executive for the Hearst UK entertainment portfolio in summer 2025. Iona now leads the DS social channels, covering red carpets with stars such as Paul Mescal, Austin Butler, and more.
