LOVE Island’s Jessy Potts beamed as she was reunited with her family at a surprise welcome home party – but Joey Essex was nowhere to be seen.
The TV star narrowly missed the final after she and the former TOWIE legend were booted out of the villa in a brutal dumping.
Jessy, 25, was overcome with emotion as she stepped out into a quant pub garden in her hometown.
She said it was “the best surprise” as she was met by her friends and family, who rushed to throw their arms around her.
One friend said that she was “so effing proud” of bombshell Jessy, who became a staple in the programme.
Despite announcing that they are exclusively dating and planning a trip to the Maldives – Jessy’s boyfriend was nowhere to be seen.
Jessy looked stunning in a red cut-out dress with a white and pink pattern.
She accessorised with a pair of sunglasses on her head and showed off her natural beauty.
To mark the occasion, her family had also made cupcakes with photos of her best moments on the show sticking out of the icing.
Joey featured in many of the snaps, but failed to make an appearance.
Earlier this week the 33-year-old told This Morning that Jessy had already had a sleepover at his house in Essex.
Rumours of the pair’s relationship circled for months in the lead up to the show airing, with Vanessa exclusively denying the whispers to the Sun in November 2022.
The pair came runners-up during the final in March – and while it seemed like they were close on the show, it appeared to have fizzled out shortly after.
By May 2023, Joey confirmed he was single and said he could not see a future for them after the final.
“She’s already been to my house, left at 9am!” he laughed.
And he told The Sun in an exclusive interview: “We’re really happy. I can’t wait for us to just meet my friends, my family.
“Times ahead are looking really exciting.”
Jessy also posed for a photo with Joey on Instagram and revealed that they’d finally dated at Sheesh – a celebrity hot spot that Joey had promised to take her.
This comes after Joey accused Love Island producers of using him and his vast reality TV experience.
He admitted that he played up to the cameras and “did what he needed to do”.
He told The Sun: “We’re all there to find love but there needs to be a journey, there needs to be drama – so, you know, I had to be that guy.
“I’d switch it on. I’d do my scene. If I was involved in someone else’s stuff it’s because I’ve been pulled in and dragged into that situation.
“I’ve just done what I’ve done because I’m filming a television show.”
Questioned about if was the producers’ man on the ground, Joey told us: “I was put in a situation where I had to do what I had to do. Do you know what I mean? I’m there for a reason. I’m in Love Island to entertain.
“I didn’t really have much time off… I was very, very busy, active.
“I mean, do your readers actually think that I would go up to a girl in a challenge and kiss her in front of her boyfriend, whilst the girl that I actually have feelings for is stood next to her?”
