Joey Essex has spoken out about images that appeared to show him kissing Zara McDermott, insisting the pictures were fake. The former TOWIE star, 36, said the snaps, which sparked speculation of an affair, were not real and described the actual moment as an "innocent kiss on the cheek".
Deepfake images dismissed
Certain images circulating online seemed to show the pair passionately kissing, but they turned out to be fake. Speaking to The Sun, Joey said: "And I think paparazzi just sometimes can get a great shot, but it wasn’t like what it looked like."
He added: "That ain’t me though. I don’t even know how that happened. Honestly, like." The images came after it was claimed that Zara, who is currently dating Louis Tomlinson, and the former One Direction star's relationship was going from strength to strength.
Reality TV bonding
Joey explained that the pair both became household names due to their reality TV backgrounds and said they "naturally bonded" on their latest TV series. While he labelled their friendship as "cool", he insisted the kiss pics "wasn’t like anything like that".
Louis and Zara's romance
In January, it was said there could soon be wedding bells between Louis and Zara. The couple, who began dating last year, have been seen on several occasions looking very cosy. Last October, Louis revealed how Zara had 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."
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 said: "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."
