IT’S fair to say Joey Essex is a household name amongst Brits after bursting onto the scene in Towie.
The reality star might be living it up in the Love Island villa, but when he was young he was brought up by his dad after his mum passed away.
Who is Joey Essex’s dad Donny Essex?
Donald “Donny” Essex is the father of reality stars, Joey and Frankie Essex.
An ex-boxer, Donny was left to take care of his two children alone after the untimely death of his wife.
When Joey was young, his mum Tina developed an infection called candida, a crippling yeast infection that can cause stomach problems, fatigue and depression.
Tina succumbed to her symptoms and took her own life when Joey was just ten, with his father initially telling his kids that their mum had fallen and tragically died.
In 2013, Donny spoke of his past embarrassment at his son’s inability to serve tea, sell fish or blow his own nose, jokingly branding him “useless”.
He said: “Even I’ve been gobsmacked. I mean, I didn’t even know he couldn’t tell the time and as for not knowing how to blow your nose.”
“Joey’s a one-off. You won’t find another like him, believe me.”
Donald told of how Joey was sacked from a job his father landed him at Billingsgate Fish Market in East London, after only three months.
He then lost his job as a runner, serving cups of tea and coffee.
Donald said: “But he couldn’t even get that right. If someone ordered a black coffee, he’d get them a tea with two sugars.”
Despite Joey’s occasional shortcomings, his father has always remained supportive and loving of his son.
What has Joey Essex said about his dad?
In June 2021, the TV personality took to Instagram to pay tribute to his dad on Father’s Day.
In his post, Joey published two pictures, one of his father as a younger man in the boxing ring.
The second picture was a more recent photo which showed Joey walking along a road beside his father.
After my mum passed away, my dad brought me and my sister Frankie up alone and it must have been really tough for him.
Joey Essex
Captioning the photos, he wrote: “I wouldn’t be the man I was today without you Dad. Thanks for teaching me respect, manners and to be brave.
“Happy Father’s Day to all the best dads out there and all the mums being dad.”
Speaking on Donny’s resilience during his childhood in his BBC Three documentary Grief And ME, Joey said: “My dad has been through all of it.
“After my mum passed away, my dad brought me and my sister Frankie up alone and it must have been really tough for him.
“But he’s the first person I call when I’m upset. It doesn’t matter where he is, he’ll always answer the phone.”
Joey Essex: Grief And Me is available on the BBC iPlayer now.
YOU'RE NOT ALONE
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide.
It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun launched the You’re Not Alone campaign.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let’s all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You’re Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
- CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
- Heads Together, www.headstogether.org.uk
- Mind, www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393
- Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
- Samaritans, www.samaritans.org, 116 123