Love Island fans accuse Joey Essex of acting after bombshell recoupling

What did you miss?

Love Island viewers have accused Joey Essex of acting after Samantha Kenny was sent home from the show.

The 26-year-old from Liverpool was popular with fans of the ITV2 dating show, but has now been evicted from the island after new Bombshell contestant Grace Jackson chose to couple with TOWIE star Essex.

Essex, 33, appeared upset to see Kenny, 26, packing her bags and tried to talk to her. But the Scouse make-up artist refused to to speak to him, storming away from him saying: "I don't want to hear it."

What, how, and why?

Kenny and Essex had been a couple on the dating show since day five. But their romance was rocked when social media marketing agency owner Jackson entered the villa and revealed she had a dating history with Essex after they met in Ibiza a year previously.

At the beginning of Tuesday (18 June) night's episode Essex told Kenny that he had decided to sleep with Jackson in the Hideaway. Kenny told him he had hurt her feelings by kissing the 25-year-old from Manchester in front of everyone. She then stormed off into the bathroom where she called him a "p**k" and an "a**se-wipe".

At the end of the episode a recouping was announced, with the three new Bombshell contestants choosing first. Jackson chose Essex, saying she was delighted they had a chance to rekindle their history together.

Kenny became one of the last two contestants to be chose, along with Jess White. But newly-dumped Omar Nyame announced he was choosing White, for friendship reasons, because although there was no romance between them he wanted her to stay in the house.

Contestants Harriett Blackmore and Nicole Samuel both began to cry. As she packed her bags Essex said: "I feel that before she goes I've got I need to I need to talk to her, man." But as he approached Kenny she told him: "Save it. I don't want to hear it. It's a load of shit to me."

The episode ended with Essex sitting alone at the fire pit looking forlorn and viewers noted there was no preview of the next episode.

What did viewers say?

Many fans of the show liked Kenny and wanted to see her win the show. They were furious to see her go home, but even more enraged to see Essex acting upset when his actions had led to her eviction.

One wrote on social media platform X: "Why is Joey acting depressed now, you saw a girl fully cry for you to be kiss her 2 hours later #loveisland" Another said: "joey is an actor #loveisland" One commented: "Joey is so dramatic. He knows how to make television #loveIsland" And another posted: "joey needs to stop playing the victim #loveIsland"

Love Island airs on ITV2 at 9pm on weekdays.

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