Love Island's Joey Essex shocks villa as he moves on with new bombshell - leaving Grace in tears
When Grace Jackson entered the Love Island villa, it looked like former TOWIE star Joey Essex couldn't be happier - but that all changed on Wednesday's episode of the ITV dating show.
At the beginning of the series, it emerged that Joey had a holiday fling with newcomer Grace in 2023 but things soon fizzled out. However, when the blonde beauty entered the villa, the pair appeared to pick things up rather quickly and their relationship blossomed.
But in an explosive change of heart, Joey has now appeared to break poor Grace's heart as he's decided to ditch her for a second time in favour of another bombshell who just entered the villa - 25 year old Jessy Potts.
On Wednesday, 26 June's episode, Joey claimed that his connection with newcomer Jess could be stronger than the one he shares with Grace. Understandably, Grace was left in tears after Joey returned from his date with Jessy.
The 25 year old voiced that she felt side-lined by Joey - who confessed to having an 'instant attraction' to Jessy - despite the couple recently speaking about taking their relationship to the next level.
Joey said: "I felt I got deeper in 20 minutes with Jessy than with Grace," while Grace, who confided in co-star Harriett Blackmore, said: 'I'm fuming, I'll be honest.
Grace continued: "With Joey, he has been how he has been with me, this constant reassurance and feeling like I genuinely believe and trust everything he's saying. He's been that way with me, so it's made me open up and be that way with him.
"For him to then go on a date and come back in. I felt like he was so cold with me… his energy was so off."
Fans watching at home were quick to weigh in on the situation, with some saying this is exactly how dumped Islander Samantha Kenny - who was originally paired with Joey - would have felt.
One wrote: "Why is Grace crying? Didn't she do the same thing to Samantha, and she was giggling about it' and 'JOEY pursue Jessy... It's a must."
But others came to Grace's defence and wrote: "Joey is twisting things to his advantage. Double standards here is crazy. Send someone in for Grace. Better still, she meets someone in Casa Amor and makes him see what he's missing!".
It sounds like this could be the beginning of the end for the pair as fans have also spotted some signs that Grace was ready to ditch Joey anyway. Following a shock re-coupling where newcomer Konnor Ewudzi chose Grace, fans reckon he could actually the man for her and Grace could eventually detach from Joey.
One even took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to say that Grace had a "game plan." They wrote: "Joey Essex and Konnor were just played but Grace. She definitely has a game plan." Another questioned: "So when are we going to discuss that grace clearly has a type that isn't Joey Essex," while a third wrote: "Grace has a type and it’s not joey Essex."
Can't get enough of the Love Island drama? Check out OK's Love Island Dumping Debrief for your weekly dose of behind-the-scenes gossip from the 2024 series' eliminated stars.
