THE EX FILES
Love Island’s Grace Jackson takes swipe at ex Joey Essex on All Stars as she opens up about heartbreak
It comes after Grace revealed her and Joey had met up for a "flirty" catch-up
LOVE Island's Grace Jackson has taken a swipe at her ex Joey Essex on All Stars.
The former The Only Way Is Essex star made a shock appearance as a contestant in the last series of the hit ITV2 dating show, and broke Grace's heart in the process.
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Joey, 34, originally chose to couple up with Grace, before moving on with Jessy Potts, and leaving his former flame out in the cold.
Now, Grace has been able to get her own back on her ex, and reveal how she really felt about how things played out in the villa last year.
Speaking on last night's Love Island All Stars, she opened up to her new man, Luca Bish.
The pair are coupled up in the villa, and have formed a strong bond.
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Speaking candidly to Luca, Grace said: "In past situations, I've actually been really hurt by people I care about and who I've been venerable with and they've just shut me off because they were scared or because one day, maybe, they just don't know how to communicate, it makes me more reserved.
"But I think with you, I don't know what it is, I genuinely didn't expect it, but I'm just myself around you and it feels good and I feel like you reassure me, and I reassure you."
She then added: "I'm fully how I want to be with someone with you."
Last week on All Stars, Grace revealed how she and Joey had met up for a "flirty" catch-up after he reached out to her following the show.
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It came not long after he decided to call time on his relationship with Jessy.
However, Jessy was clearly surprised by the revelation, and shared the clip on her Instagram Story - hinting that she had no idea about the reunion.
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She captioned the post: "Lol It's all coming out now, isn't it."
During the episode, Jessy told Olivia Hawkins: "Yeah we cleared the air he reached out to me we didn't speak for like 4 months and then he texts me and was just like can we speak type of thing."
Olivia then asked if the pair met up and if their conversations were ever flirty.
She exclaimed: "A little bit! I really liked him and i think i'll always have a soft spot for him, i’ll always care about him, he’s not someone I’d wanna be with definitely not."
Grace added: "He was like, 'Grace, I used to look at you all the time,'" before insinuating that he would send her signs.
She then claimed that she blocked him as she did not communicate with him after that.
"Yeah but i just blocked him…honestly we just didn't speak," she admitted.
Liv then asked: "You think he still liked you then?", before Grace confirmed: "Yeah he told me that he did."
Months after Joey's stint on Love Island, The Sun exclusively reported how he'd signed up to matchmaking app Raya - just weeks after the pair's break-up.
Joey told us at the time: "Unfortunately, we have decided to call an end to the relationship but I hope we can continue to be friends.
Joey Essex's famous exes
Sam Faiers - Joey dated Towie co-star Sam Faiers from 2011.
The pair were one of the original Essex duos, and were together on and off for three years before ending the relationship for good in September, 2014.
Amy Willerton - Joey was rumoured to be dating his I'm A Celeb co-star Amy Willerton in 2013, when they both appeared on the show together.
The romance soon fizzled out afterwards and Willerton, who won the title of Miss Universe Great Britain said she found it difficult.
Speaking to the newspaper, she said: "The attention after we left the show was really hard for me. While Joey had a strong management team behind him, I didn't really have anybody in my corner."
Stephanie Pratt - Made In Chelsea star and US born socialite, Stephanie Pratt, dated Joey for three months.
They fell for each other while appearing in Celebs Go Dating and shared a steamy kiss in Joey's swimming pool.
But he dumped her in October 2016 for making him "spend too much time in Chelsea".
Lorena Medina - Joey met model Lorena Medina on MTV reality show Ex On The Beach in 2019.
Their relationship seemed to be going well after Joey showed her around his hometown of Chigwell in Essex. But the pair split in February 2020.
Lorena had moved into his home in Chigwell, Essex, in September 2019, but they had a furious bust-up after he was snapped entering singer Rita Ora’s home in the early hours of the morning.
Rita Ora - Joey's ex Lorena revealed to The Sun that she dumped Joey after he spent a wild night out with Rita Ora early in 2020.
He was holed up for 13 hours in Rita's mansion after the pair had tried to avoid being seen together by taking separate cars between venues.
However, the pair have denied that there was anything romantic between them.
Joey said: "We have known each other for years. She’s a nice girl but we’re just friends."
Vanessa Bauer - Joey was rumoured to have had a brief romance with Dancing on Ice pro skater Vanessa Bauer during his stint on the hit ITV show in 2023.
Rumours of the pair’s relationship circled for months in the lead up to the show airing, with Vanessa exclusively denying the whispers to the Sun in November 2022.
The pair came runners-up during the final in March - and while it seemed like they were close on the show, it appeared to have fizzled out shortly after.
By May 2023, Joey confirmed he was single and said he could not see a future for them after the final.
"I truly wish Jessy the very best with whatever she does in the future."
And Jessy added: "I appreciate the Love Island experience I had with Joey, we tried to make it work but it wasn’t to be.
"I’m so grateful to everyone who supported us and look forward to all of the exciting opportunities ahead."
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Before her All Stars return, Grace had been linked to footballer Marcus Rashford.
She reportedly went on a string of dates with the Manchester United ace, but their bond failed to develop into anything serious.
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