Yahoo News Joey Essex reveals he 'almost drowned' practising Halloween stunt
Joey Essex has revealed that he almost died while practising for a live TV stunt for Halloween.
The former TOWIE star will be risking his life on Wednesday as he takes part in a death-defying underwater escape with Magician Ben Hanlin.
And speaking on This Morning, Essex admitted that his training for the stunt almost went seriously wrong.
“I nearly died yesterday. The water went up too quickly,” he told hosts Philip Schofield and Rochelle Humes.
The stunt will see Essex and Hanlin held down by shackles in an underground room that will slowly fill with water as the two of them try to escape.
Seemingly unaware of all the details of the stunt, Essex learnt during the morning show that he’ll also be responsible for freeing Hanlin from his chains.
“Now you’re putting my life in your hands?” said a worried Essex. “I’m not a magician or stunt man. If you miss time it, you’ve got a problem.”
Essex has only had five days to prepare for the stunt, but he claimed he wished it had all been over and done with in just one day.
“I wish we could have just done this in one day and not thought about it so much,” he said, which prompted a bewildered Schofield to exclaim: “You can’t do a death-defying stunt in one day!”
Essex added: “I’ve been trying to take every hour as it comes. I’m not winging it. But as we’re coming more to the stunt, I’m trying harder.”
Inconveniently, Essex just so happens to be terrified of water and often struggles with claustrophobia.
“I don’t like baths, or swimming. I don’t like being underwater. never have,” he said. “But I’ve always liked to overcome my fears. It’s mind over matter. You come out the other side stronger. If it does go well and I succeed, I will be very happy with myself.”
Ben Hanlin’s Live and Deadly: Drowned airs tonight on ITV2 at 9pm.
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