Remembering Mum

Joey Essex talks about his brave journey of self-discovery

- HANNAH DAVIES

JOEY ESSEX: GRIEF AND ME

NEW FROM THU 3 JUNE / BBC3 ONLINE / FROM 6AM / & THURSDAY / BBC1 (NI, BBC2) / 9PM / FACTUAL

Joey Essex was 20 when he shot to fame overnight after joining the cast of popular ITV reality show The Only Way Is Essex in 2011.

But behind the cheeky-chappie persona that won him legions of fans, the star has secretly been unable to come to terms with the trauma of losing his beloved mum, Tina, who tragically took her own life after a battle with depression when he was 10 years old.

Having turned 30 last July, Joey decided to embark on a deeply personal journey to take stock of his life, and begin therapy to confront his past.

His story is followed in a candid new documentary, Joey Essex: Grief and Me, on BBC1 and BBC3 Online this week.

Here, Joey reveals how reconnecting with past memories has helped him move forward…

How would you say your mum’s death still impacts you?

People normally see me laughing and joking, being Joey Essex. But I’ve kept a lot of stuff inside. I haven’t been able to talk about things that happened to me. When I was 10, my mum took her own life and the truth is, I’ve never been able to deal with it. My mum loved me but she left me. If she loved me that much, why would she leave? I think I’ll always ask myself why.