Joey Essex has had his say on images that seemingly showed him kissing Zara McDermott despite the former Love Island star dating ex-One Direction singer Louis Tomlinson
Joey Essex(Image: Rowan Griffiths / Daily Mirror)
Joey Essex broke his silence on the “kiss” pictures with Zara McDermott after the pair were accused of having an affair. Followers were quick to speculate after the images were released, with Zara currently dating Louis Tomlinson.
The former TOWIE star, 36, has hit out at the deepfake snaps that had fans fuming. While stopping short of saying too much, Joey revealed that they happened while he and Zara were taking part in a TV series.
Single Joey explained how the pair both became household names due to their reality TV backgrounds. And he said the pair “naturally bonded” on their latest foray onto the small screen.
While he labelled their budding friendship as “cool”, he insisted the kiss pics “wasn’t like anything like that”. Speaking to The Sun, he said: “And I think paparazzi just sometimes can get a great shot, but it wasn’t like what it looked like.”
He described it as an “innocent kiss on the cheek”. But despite playing down the moment, he reiterated the full kissing pictures simply weren’t him.
Certain images that appeared online seemed to show the pair passionately kissing, but they turned out to be fake. Joey added: “That ain’t me though. I don’t even know how that happened. Honestly, like.”
The images came after it was claimed that Louis and Zara’s relationship was going from strength to strength. In January, it was said there could soon be wedding bells between the pair.
The couple, who began dating last year, have been seen on several occasions looking very cosy. Last October, Louis revealed how Zara had even inspired his new album, telling Steven Bartlett’s Diary Of A CEO podcast, “I’m a deeply, deeply romantic person. For me, I have to have been living it – it has to be literal, it has to be real to me.
“So, if I wasn’t feeling so good, like right now, I wasn’t feeling so in love, the record probably would have a slightly different feel to it.”
And after his sisters, Daisy and Phoebe, confirmed the former Love Island star would be spending Christmas with their family, sources said to expect the pair to have some big news in the near future.
An insider told us: “He’s totally smitten with her. This is true love and not a showbiz romance. [Zara] is The One and I think he’s realised life is very short and you’ve got to do something about it if you’re happy.”
The insider added: “You’re witnessing a different Zara. She just has a huge love for Louis, and he can see how kind and understanding she is.
“With all his grieving and getting through stuff, it’s honestly been a tough time for him – and she’s been wonderful. She’s seen him so vulnerable and it makes her love him even more.”
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