Reality TV star Joey Essex is due to step into the boxing ring this weekend, facing Dapper Laughs as Misfits Boxing comes to the Copper Box Arena in London. The 36-year-old, who rose to fame on The Only Way is Essex more than a decade ago, has been based in Dubai since 2023.
The card also features former Wales international footballer James Collins, who will face Big Stacks. Essex already has one win to his name, having beaten Numeiro in a middleweight bout in Manchester in 2025.
Knifepoint Mugging and Burglary
In 2012, during the early days of his fame, the London-born star was mugged by two men posing as fans. They robbed him of a £10,000 Rolex watch, pulling a knife when he tried to react.
“We did the picture [they asked for] and when I put some money in the parking ticket machine, the geezers got hold of me and threw me over,” he told The Sun at the time. “It wasn’t until I got up that I realised they had nicked my watch and when I hit one of them back, he got out a knife.”
A decade later, The Sun reported that he was left an 'emotional wreck' after thieves broke into his Essex home.
Move to Dubai
At the time of the burglary, he was reported to be on the lookout for a new property in Dubai. He completed the move in 2023, confirming his relocation on Instagram.
“At the worlds most luxurious hotel Burj Al Arab I met up with the Dubai Government. They told me Dubai is now my home,” he wrote. “Thank you to Mahmoud Al Burai & Shahab Ahmed Alsaadi for everything you have put in place for me and Dubai police / Dubai tourism board / Dubai media for getting in touch and taking time to meet me and giving me the warmest welcome to their beautiful country. Happiness is the way forward. Inshallah.”
At the time of the move, Essex appeared to be dividing his time between the UAE and the UK. He has shared photos from Dubai in the intervening period but was back in his home country for a while before making a surprise appearance on Love Island in 2024. He also spent time in Ibiza over the summer.
Training and Fight Night
Essex is now fully focused on his boxing challenge. “These boxing camps are no joke. They’re not for everyone,” he wrote on Instagram. “The closest training I’ve experienced, in my opinion, is the same as when I featured on the TV show SAS: Who Dares Wins. You need extreme discipline. There are no games, no excuses, for anything. It’s either in you or it isn’t…”
“The way we train at the Matchroom Gym is hard work, and like they say: 'Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard'. I’ve worked hard, all for October 10th at the Copper Box Arena in London, to put on a show that none of you will ever forget. This is only the beginning.”
Joey Essex vs Dapper Laughs is live on DAZN worldwide via a DAZN subscription.
