Big Brother is set to return on Monday night and has already teased a star-studded line-up with Joey Essex linked to the show – but many fear the worst and have begged for ‘no more’

Big Brother is making a grand comeback tonight with a fresh series and a lineup of new faces, sparking rumours that TOWIE’s Joey Essex might be joining the fray.

The Essex heartthrob sent fans into overdrive as he popped up in the Big Brother promo, getting a VIP tour from Selling Sunset’s Chelsea Lazkani with a cheeky aim to ‘sell’ him on staying.

In the promotional clip, Chelsea swans into the luxe abode bragging about nabbing the ‘hottest property in town’, followed by Joey who gushes that it’s “beautiful, it’s really, really demure”. Although the reality TV favourites have had an early peek at the notorious house, they won’t actually feature on the show.

Social media was quickly buzzing with reactions from fans who claimed to have been relieved to hear that Joey won’t feature in this year’s regular folk edition, with comments pouring in. One fan posted: “This better not be true”, while another remarked: “I hope this is fake. He can’t go on Selling Sunset and claim to buy a $5 million house and then go on Love Island AND BB”.

Chelsea and Joey on the bed in the Big Brother house ( 
Image:
ITV)

On the brink of exasperation, another declared: “Enough! Can I watch a programme without him popping up! ! ? “. A different user begged: “Pls no. He ruined love island this summer”.

Someone else chipped in: “Didn’t he literally just do the exact same thing a few weeks ago on Love Island? ! ? Not to hate on the lad but I think apart from this show and MAFSUK, he has done every other reality show going”, reports OK!.

In his latest TV stint, Joey swapped Essex for the glitz of Hollywood, enlisting Chelsea’s assistance in purchasing a Los Angeles property. The reality star left real estate agent Chelsea and Emma Hernan stunned when he spontaneously dived into the pool to win their admiration.

Joey Essex in the Big Brother shower ( 
Image:
ITV)
Prior to this, Joey was a familiar face on Love Island, where he embarked on a whirlwind romance. He exited the show hand-in-hand with Jessy Potts during the summer, only to end their relationship after a fleeting seven weeks, despite being the villa’s sole celebrity.

On Friday, September 28,, Joey was seen making a covert visit to the Big Brother set in Harlesden, London, to film segments for the series, now hosted by AJ Odudu and Will Best. In 2023, when the civilian series made its ITV comeback, Jordan Sangha was crowned the winner – it was on this show that he met his current boyfriend, Henry Southan.