A woman in her 40s has been arrested afterJoey Essex, formerThe Only Way Is Essexstar, reported receiving over 100,000 messages, some containing violent threats. Among these, the stalker targeted Joey’sLove Islandgirlfriend,Jessy Potts, with messages threatening to “shoot the st” out of her, while others contained derogatory terms, calling her a “fat sg” and a “b***h.“Joey, raised concerns with Cheshire Police in August of last yearafter his team noticed an alarming increase in threatening messages under his social media posts.
Officers seized electronic devices, including a mobile phone and laptop, from the suspect, who resides in the Stockport area. The woman has since been bailed under strict conditions, including prohibitions on contacting Joey or his family and traveling to London or Essex. Joey, like the protagonist of Netflix’sBaby Reindeer,faced a nightmare where fandom spiraled into obsession, highlighting the dark side of public life. Thankfully,intervention by the authorities brought relief to the reality star and his family.
The Arrest and Investigation
The case compares to the Netflix dramaBaby Reindeer, based on creatorRichard Gadd’sreal-life experience with a stalker. In the series,Jessica Gunningportrays Martha, a stalker whose obsessive behavior wreaks havoc on Gadd’s life. Like the character in the show,Joey’s stalker left numerous comments and sent threatening messages,demonstrating the terrifying reality of such experiences. Joey met Jessy Potts onLove Islandlast summer. Although the couple was voted off before the series finale, they maintained their relationship briefly after returning home. The pair eventually split in September, citing busy schedules as the reason for their separation.
Joey was receiving private messages from a fan, including, “Just call me annoying again, that’s what you get, your insecure in yourself.” She also wrote the comments, “sort your own insecurity out” and “find your friends.” Afterthese messages got more intense and started attacking Jessy to a personal and harmful extent,Joey reported them to the police in August. During that time, Joey informedThe Sun,“messages have started to become more threatening. I love my fans and want to be able to talk to them online, but there has to be a line somewhere and sadly this is it.”
A source close to Joey expressed his relief, stating, Joey is grateful toCheshire Constabularyfor identifying the stalker. He loves interacting with his fans, but these threats crossed a line. WhileJoey is accustomed to online trolling as part of his celebrity life, the targeted nature of these messages, particularly during his time in theLove Islandvilla, prompted him to take action.
His team noticed a real uptick in messages from one specific user, the source revealed, “and the increasingly frightening nature of these messages made it impossible to ignore.” The threats became more menacing, especially toward Jessy, leading Joey to involve the police.
Love Island UK is available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.
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