HIS arrival in the Love Island villa last night was one of the biggest shocks in the show’s history.
The inclusion of Joey Essex in the new summer series is a massive gamble which could reinvigorate what is starting to feel like a tired franchise.
On the other hand, there’s the very real possibility it could backfire spectacularly and damage the show beyond repair.
While there’s no doubting the self-proclaimed king of Essex’s popularity - you don’t get signed for every major reality show under the sun if people don’t enjoy watching you - the jury is out on whether or not he’s the right fit for Love Island.
It’s already threatening to become the Joey show and will only get worse now the celebrity bombshell has been tasked with swiping a girl from one of the other lads. He’s dominating the conversation at a time we’d usually be getting to know the new recruits.
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The motives of Islanders are always dubious - is it true love they’re after, or rather the lucrative appearance and fashion deals that inevitably come their way when the series is done and dusted?
Joey could be perceived as a golden ticket for a savvy starlet who knows romance with him will be the main talking point of the 11th season.
A successful relationship for Joey would be just as advantageous, guaranteeing him more opportunities and TV coverage.
If he wins, every ambitious reality star will be eyeing a shot at the next series
You only need to cast your mind back to last year’s Dancing on Ice when his are they/aren’t they relationship with skater Vanessa Bauer overshadowed the series and no doubt helped them make the final.
Should he go all the way and make it to the end, and especially if he wins, every ambitious reality star in the country will be eyeing a shot at the next series.
And there are all sorts of permutations that could be had: the first female celeb, a celeb bouncing back from a high profile split, the return of an original celebrity Love Island star - the list goes on.
In fact, success could even lead to a reboot of the original concept itself.
Enough time has passed that today’s stars are unlikely to be aware of the career-threatening chaos that went down in its luxurious Fijian resort.
While the likes of Paul Danan, Abi Titmuss and Rebecca Loose have slipped into the quiet comforts of middle age, there’s a whole raft of Made in Chelsea, Geordie Shore and Towie upstarts who would no doubt fancy a free holiday in Majorca with the added carrot of a career boost while they’re at it.
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It could be argued that the arrival of someone like Joey was inevitable after past series’ saw the return of show legends Adam Collard and Kady McDermott.
While the recent All Stars series was effectively a celebrity edition in its own right.
ALL FOR SHOW
But the inclusion of a famous face from outside the Love Island fraternity does feel a bit jarring, almost like a cosplay.
As he walked into the villa there was an air of ‘tonight Maya, I’m going to be a Love Islander’ emanating from his boyish grin and corny patter about the girls looking fine.
Joey insists he’s in the villa to show the potential woman of his dreams the real him, so it’s worth giving him a fair crack of the whip.
After all, there’s nothing natural about walking into a house filled with 12 strangers awestruck by your presence.
The former Towie man, who for better or worse famously brought the phrase reem into the public eye, has weathered the choppy waters of modern day celeb culture and is still going strong some 13 years later.
But there’s no guarantee that will gift him a Love Island title.
TOUGH CROWD
There’s already been grumblings among the fanbase that his presence is unwelcome and has ‘killed' the show before it has properly begun.
Should that opinion gain traction in the coming days it could lead to an awkward and early departure back to Essex.
If that was to be the case, then crowd-pleasing bosses would be foolish to try the trick again in future series.
It would also beg the question would other celebs still fancy a go if a golden boy of reality TV was sent packing in a house full of unknowns?
It’s perhaps this intrigue and uncertainty that will make season 11 such compelling viewing. Reality telly works best when no one quite knows how it’s going to pan out.
And so, for now, Joey can be considered an ace in the producers’ pack, but for the franchise's sake let’s hope their hand doesn’t evolve into a joker.
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