BBC Three commissions Joey Essex doc from betty

We all think we know Joey Essex. He’s the tabloid favourite and reality TV king who came from nothing to build a highly successful career entertaining the nation. But the picture-perfect exterior hides an inner turmoil.

At the age of 10, Joey's world was ripped apart when his mum tragically took her own life. With no way of coming to terms with what had happened, Joey never processed this devastating childhood event. Instead, like so many kids affected by sudden trauma, he learnt to hide his true feelings behind a series of 'masks' - the joker, the charmer, and as he got older, the reality TV heart throb.

On the outside everything was ‘reem’, but Joey's found it increasingly difficult to drop the act and truly be himself. He realises that it's now time to confront his trauma and move forward with his life.

In this 1x60' documentary for BBC Three, with the help of a clinical psychologist, Joey will embark on a personal journey to attempt to come to terms with the impact his mother’s death had on him and his identity. In a world full of the pressures of social media, and the desperation to be consistently ‘perfect’, can he even live his life authentically, without hiding behind a mask? After twenty years of living this way, who is the ‘real’ Joey Essex?

Joey says: “This documentary is really close to my heart. Going on this journey to find the real me will be a personal challenge, but I hope it also highlights how important it is that other people who have experienced trauma know they’re not alone. I am looking forward to showing people who I really am.”

Joey Essex: Who Am I? was commissioned by Fiona Campbell, Controller, BBC Three and Catherine Catton, Head of Commissioning, Popular Factual and Factual Entertainment. It is produced by Objective Media Group production company betty, part of All3Media. The Executive Producers are Pamela Gordon and Daniella Berendsen, and Producer/Director is Niamh Kennedy. The Commissioning Editor is Ricky Cooper.