Love Island fans were left in stitches on Monday as Joey Essex claimed not being smart was a ‘gift’.

The former TOWIE star, 33, left viewers speechless last week as he entered the villa as the first bombshell of the series and the show’s first ever celebrity contestant.

He soon coupled up with Samantha Kenny, who has not been shy at showing how much she likes the reality star, with lots of knowledge about his time on TV.

In the latest episode, Samantha, 26, questioned Joey about his background in the public eye, asking if had bothered him that he was frequently branded ‘ditzy’.

Joey has built a reputation on not being intelligent, leaving school with just a U in Drama, a C in Art and a D in Wood Tech at GCSE and even had his own TV show called Re-Educating Joey Essex.

Love Island fans were left in stitches on Monday as Joey Essex claimed not being smart was a ‘gift’

The former TOWIE star, 33, left viewers speechless last week as he entered the villa as the first bombshell of the series and the show’s first ever celebrity contestant

He soon coupled up with Samantha Kenny, who has not been shy at showing how much she likes the reality star, with lots of knowledge about his time on TV

He has previously admitted that he doesn’t know how to tell the time or even blow his own nose.

And in Love Island Unseen Bits on Saturday, a clip saw the star shown being repeatedly unable to say ‘gravitate’ as he even admitted at one point: ‘I don’t even know what that word means?’

Asking Joey about whether he was bothered by his reputation as not smart, Samantha asked: ‘Did it bother you when you first came on the TV scene and they took the p*** out of you for being ditzy?’

But Joey responded by saying he knew he wasn’t intelligent and that he had never cared, admitting since he was a kid he hadn’t wanted to be clever.

He said: ‘Yeah but you gotta think, it was my persona but it was also true. I looked at it like a gift.

‘It’s who I am and it’s so good that I had that mentality and I knew myself. As a kid I knew I wasn’t clever. I didn’t think I want to be clever like everyone else – it didn’t affect me.

‘I’m going to try my best, I’m going to be the best I can be. And that’s exactly what I did. And that’s why when I talk to kids I always say all you can do is try your best.’

Viewers watching at home couldn’t help but find the conversation hilarious, taking to social media to voice their amusement at Joey’s admission.

In the latest episode, Samantha, 26, questioned Joey about his background in the public eye, asking if had bothered him that he was frequently branded ‘ditzy’

Joey has built a reputation on not being intelligent, leaving school with just a U in Drama, a C in Art and a D in Wood Tech at GCSE and even had his own TV show called Re-Educating Joey Essex (pictured on show)

He has previously admitted that he doesn’t know how to tell the time or even blow his own nose a clip from Unseen Bits saw him being repeatedly unable to say ‘gravitate’ as he even admitted at one point: ‘I don’t even know what that word means?”

But Joey said he knew he wasn’t intelligent and he had never cared, admitting since he was a kid he hadn’t wanted to be clever

They wrote: ‘Joey being proud of being a moron is so on brand; whys joey doing up motivational speaker rn?; No, Joey shouldn’t be talking to kids

‘the amount of reality tv shows joey’s been on even he knows he’s desperate; joey essex the bimbo bombshell; Joey made money off of playing dumb but he’s actually smart’.

‘did joey just… admit he chooses to be stupid?; Oh so joey actually isn’t smart I thought it was for TV loool’.

Elsewhere Joey also spoke about his family, praising his father Donald ‘Donny’ Essex and his sister Frankie.

His father brought him and Frankie up after their mother Tina tragically committed suicide in 2001 after battling depression in silence.

She was fighting an illness named candida prior to her passing, which gives sufferers symptoms including stomach issues, fatigue, joint pain and depression.

Joey told Samantha: ‘My dad always brought me up very well, to be kind, you know what I mean? That’s why I love my dad, he’s my hero.’

She then asked: ‘You’re dead close to your sister aren’t you?’

Viewers watching at home couldn’t help but find the conversation hilarious, taking to social media to voice their amusement at Joey’s admission

Joey admitted: ‘Yeah yeah, she looked after me my whole life. Since I was a kid, she looked at me like a little brother but really I’m not really that little. So protective.’

It comes as elsewhere in the episode, Samantha tried to gain clarity on her connection with Joey and questioned the motives of other girls’ after viewers claimed the star is ‘faking his feelings.’

She pulled him for a chat in the evening to discuss their blossoming relationship, fearing that he could have his head turned.

Samantha admitted that she doesn’t trust other girls’ motives when it comes to Joey, saying his fame means they will make a beeline for him.

She said: ‘I’m not being funny or nothing but you are Joey Essex so I know what girls are like, do you know what I mean.’

‘They’re going to go “Oh Joey Essex is in there so they’re going to be like, right, let’s get on Joey Essex.”‘

Unsure what to make of Samantha’s observation, Joey looked bemused as she insisted: ‘They are Joe, I’m not stupid.’

Elsewhere Joey also spoke about his family, praising his father Donald ‘Donny’ Essex and his sister Frankie (pictured)

His father brought him and Frankie up after their mother Tina tragically committed suicide in 2001 after battling depression in silence (Joey pictured with Donny)

She was fighting an illness named candida prior to her passing, which gives sufferers symptoms including stomach issues, fatigue, joint pain and depression (Joey and Frankie pictured with Tina)

Joey attempted to reassure Samantha by saying ‘If someone is with me for that reason, because I’m Joey Essex, that’s not for me, I promise you, that is not for me.’

But despite his attempt to reassure her, Samantha was still unsure of where she stands with him, replying: ‘Well what do you think about me, do you think I’m like that?’

Joey admitted that Samantha could be a bit intense, but insisted he would be turned off if someone came in just for his fame and not him as a person.

But fans are not convinced of his feelings for Samantha, and flocked to Twitter to brand her ‘delusional’ for thinking Joey is into her, and warning him to ‘run’ as she was his ‘biggest fan’.

It comes as elsewhere in the episode, Samantha tried to gain clarity on her connection with Joey and questioned the motives of other girls’ after viewers claimed the star is ‘faking his feelings’

Samantha admitted that she doesn’t trust other girls’ motives when it comes to Joey, saying his fame means they will make a beeline for him