Legendary reality TV star is quitting Britain and moving to Dubai after terrifying break-in at his home
REALITY TV star Joey Essex is quitting Britain for Dubai after a break-in at his home.
Pals told how the 32-year-old Dancing on Ice ace was left an emotional wreck following the raid on his Essex mansion.
Burglars struck last year and the incident is believed to have triggered a search for a move abroad.
The former Towie star, who is dating his telly rink partner Vanessa Bauer, is said to have his eyes set on the United Arab Emirates, where he would feel “safe”.
A source told The Sun: “Joey has started house-hunting in Dubai. He is planning to buy a base out there so he can jet off whenever he likes.
“Joey will be splitting his time between his home in Essex and his new place in Dubai.
“He loves the lifestyle out there and feels completely safe.”
We revealed in January last year how Joey was “horrified and shaken” when raiders ransacked his £3million pad while he was out with friends.
He called police after returning in the early hours to find an upstairs window open.
Police confirmed they were investigating a break-in at the four-bed property in Essex.
The source went on: “The incident at his house made him think about his life and what he wants from it.
“Joey has been looking at properties over the past few days and is weighing up his options. It is a really exciting time for him.”
Joey, who found fame on Towie in 2011, paid £1.6million for the pad in 2014 and he has repeatedly shown it off on social media.
Resembling a villa in Ibiza or Marbella, his outdoor pool is surrounded by palm trees, an elephant statue and four-poster sun loungers.
He also showed viewers around on MTV’s Cribs in 2019.
Fans got another glimpse of his impressive pad in 2020 during a video link with This Morning host Phillip Schofield following Joey’s stint on Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.
Viewers were just as impressed as Phillip by Joey’s abode.
One posted online: “Joey Essex looks like he lives in Marbs with that ‘Garden’. Not a weed in sight.”
Another said: “Joey Essex has got a lovely house. It’s like he’s on the other side of the world.”
Joey — now said to be worth around £6million — was not the first Towie star to be targeted by burglars, with Megan McKenna a victim in 2017 and Nicole Bass in 2018.
His reality CV includes appearances on Splash, I’m A Celebrity, Jump, Celebrity Dating, Celebrity MasterChef and Celebrity Ex on the Beach.
He also finished second on this year’s Dancing on Ice, and during the ITV series fans were convinced he and German pro skater partner Vanessa would become a couple.
Sparks flew and they shared a very public kiss after making it through a tense skate-off.
Ahead of the final last month, Joey said: “Me and Vanessa have a great bond, we’ve gotten on well with each other since day one.”
He added: “It’s very special and I think it’d be quite nice to see what’s going on outside because we’re just mainly in the ice rink to be honest. We’re taking it day by day.”
Vanessa, 26, also sparked feverish speculation when she told The Sun: “We have a bond like I didn’t have with any of my other partners.”
But fans’ love story hopes were thrown into doubt when Vanessa headed back to her Berlin home after the series had wrapped.
She also flew to Thailand for a holiday — without Joey.
But this week she confirmed that the couple were definitely together and “happier than ever”.
She added: “Me and Joey, we’re doing very good — we are doing really good at the moment.”
Those close to Joey believe that Vanessa could tame him after a string of high-profile romances.
He was previously linked to pop star Rita Ora and was dating model Lorena Medina until their split in 2020.
A friend told The Sun said: “Joey is a lovely man with a sensitive soul. He has been having a ball with Vanessa and they are seeing how things are going.
“Naturally, their time together on Dancing on Ice was really intense and they are taking it steady now that is all over.
“Joey is having a fantastic time in Dubai and is dreaming about spending weeks in the sun with the people he loves most. The world is very much his oyster.”
Vanessa’s relationships have been away from the public eye.
She dated personal trainer Rory McCall for almost three years before a split in 2011.
