Joey Essex is determined to settle down and insists he is ‘husband material’
HE has dated some of the most beautiful women in showbiz – but now Joey Essex is determined to settle down.
The reality hunk, who has been linked to Rita Ora and Playboy models, told The Sun on Sunday: “I’m ready to find my wife, not a girlfriend.
“I’m husband material. I’m not rock ’n’ roll, I’m a clean and tidy person. My house is immaculate.
“I make my bed every morning, I sweep the floors, I dust. I’ve never had a cleaner. But I’m still single — what’s going on?
“I’m at a place in my life where I want to think long-term. All my mates off TV have had kids and I really want to have children but, obviously, you’ve got to have them with the right person.
“I want to meet The One. I need to find someone I can fully trust and who understands who I am, with my life and my job.
“Not meaning to blow my own trumpet but I’m a genuine, kind-hearted person.”
Joey’s most recent ex, 22-year-old Brazilian model Brenda Santos, earlier this year boasted of his prowess in the bedroom.
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She said: “We would have sex every day. Sometimes we would do it many times a day, depending on the mood. He was giving and generous in bed.”
Joey, 31, says: “I don’t mind that my ex-girlfriends talk about my bedroom antics. I keep my mouth shut and they can say whatever they want. It’s all good.”
The closest Joey has got to walking down the aisle is a brief engagement to his former Towie co-star Sam Faiers, 30, in 2012.
His other exes include Geordie Shore’s Charlotte Crosby and Dubai-based air hostess Bethany Hitch.
And despite dating beauty queen Amy Willerton, 29, The Hills actress Stephanie Pratt, 35, and Mexican Playboy model Lorena Medina, 29, he claims he struggles to meet women.
Joey said: “I’ve met all my exes in completely random ways. I usually just bump into them on a night out.”
He laughs at the prospect of messaging girls on Instagram for a date, despite the fact he is followed by actress Lily James, Love Island’s Maura Higgins and pop star Anne-Marie.
But he does admit to having secret online conversations with one of the Spice Girls. Joey revealed: “Mel B is nice. We’ve spoken a few times on Instagram. We get on.”
Since joining The Only Way Is Essex in 2011 and appearing on I’m A Celebrity in 2013, Joey has enjoyed more than a decade in the limelight, charming viewers with his innocent, inquisitive personality.
I’m husband material. I’m not rock ’n’ roll, I’m a clean and tidy person. My house is immaculate
Joey Essex
His other reality TV credits include Celebs Go Dating, Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins and Celebrity MasterChef.
But there’s a lot more to Joey than playing the clown.
He said: “I feel like I’ve learned a lot over the past ten years.
“I’m doing something I’m very passionate about.
“I enjoy being me and showing people who I really am. My job is being Joey Essex and I love it. People know the silly side of me, but I’ve got my head screwed on and I’m quite clever.
“I’m street-smart and I can hold a serious conversation and be deep.
“It’s hard to maintain what I do. It’s not easy. People just think, ‘He’s Joey Essex, he gets paid loads of money’.
“I’m non-stop every day as I’m doing so many different jobs. I’m a workaholic.
“I’ll make sure I cancel my holiday with my boys and put work first.
“I’ll always make time to speak to fans when I’m out and about and have a selfie.”
Fabulous Magazine’s annual reality TV rich list this month placed him at No10, with an estimated fortune of £5.9million.
He invested some of his cash in a big four-bedroom house in Chigwell, Essex, with a swimming pool and bronze giraffe in the garden.
But he does admit to one guilty pleasure.
My job is being Joey Essex and I love it. People know the silly side of me, but I’ve got my head screwed on and I’m quite clever
Joey Essex
Joey said: “I haven’t been stupid with my money but I have to admit that buying designer clothes is my weakness.
“I’m a shopaholic. I’ll spend hundreds on a white, plain T-shirt. I’ve always loved designer clothes. Even when I was working down the fish market I would save all my money and buy Dior and Prada. I was the best-dressed fishmonger in Billingsgate.”
Fans saw a different side to Joey in the summer when his heart-breaking documentary Joey Essex: Grief And Me, about his mother’s suicide, was aired on BBC1.
The show saw him grapple with his emotions and seek therapy. He was raised by lone parent Don following his mum Tina’s suicide when he was ten.
He says the tragedy affected his schoolwork, which may have been a factor in why he wasn’t as academic as his pals.
After flunking his GCSEs he went into full-time work but was sacked five times — by three stockmarket firms while trying to become a trader and, before that, two fish markets.
Since the show aired, Joey is regularly contacted by men who are struggling to deal with grief.
I’ve met all my exes in completely random ways. I usually just bump into them on a night out
Joey Essex
He said: “Loads of people come up to me to talk about that documentary.
“I had a guy talk to me just at the weekend, he burst into tears and told me I’d saved his life. I didn’t realise the impact it would have.
“My inbox has been full of messages. It’s eye-opening. You don’t feel like you’re on your own any more as other people are in the same position and dealing with the same things.
“If it has helped others then I’ve done something right.”
Joey, currently promoting a campaign for booking service hotels.com, wants to straddle light entertainment with more serious projects as he settles into his second decade in showbiz.
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He said: “I want to start doing more serious shows.
“People have seen a different side to me now and I’m not going anywhere.”
