Love Island viewers have slammed Joey Essex as a master manipulator after he insisted he wanted to carry on his romance with Samantha Kenny despite having a steamy night with his ex Grace Jackson.

The former TOWIE star’s head turned when his ex Grace came into the villa last week – and he has been distancing himself from Samantha since.

But the reality TV star infuriated viewers on Monday when he returned from his sleepover with Grace – during which the pair kissed – for how he treated Samantha.

On arriving back in the villa, Samantha got emotional as she said she felt ’embarrassed’ and as though she had been a ‘place holder’ until Grace came in.

Joey failed to pull Samantha for a chat straight away when he returned from the sleepover and later told her he wanted to continue their romance – but minutes later publicly snogged Grace on the daybeds.

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Love Island viewers have slammed Joey Essex a master manipulator after he insisted he wanted to carry on his romance with Samantha Kenny despite having a steamy night with his ex Grace Jackson

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The former TOWIE star’s head turned when his ex Grace came into the villa last week – and has been distancing from Samantha since

Samantha was left in tears during the episode after finding out that Joey had kissed Grace during their overnight – despite her and the star not being intimate in their two weeks together.

After a conversation with Harriet on the daybeds in which Samantha started crying, she then took herself off to the terrace to have a cry in private.

Jess followed her up and told Samantha that Joey was looking for her, but the make-up artist said she didn’t want to talk as she was embarrassed.

‘You’ve not treated someone wrong,’ Jess said. ‘You’ve not made someone feel that way.’

Samantha replied: ‘I don’t want him to see that I’m upset because I’m embarrassed.

‘Grace walks in and I just get kicked to the curb. It’s not nice.’

‘He doesn’t give a flying f** about my feeling,’ she told Jess, before Joey came up to the terrace.

Samantha said: ‘Joe honestly just leave me with Jess for a bit please. It’s just embarrassing. I feel really embarrassed.’

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Jess followed her up and told Samantha that Joey was looking for her, but the make-up artist said she didn’t want to talk as she was embarrassed

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‘You’ve not treated someone wrong,’ Jess said. ‘You’ve not made someone feel that way’

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Samantha said: ‘Joe honestly just leave me with Jess for a bit please. It’s just embarrassing. I feel really embarrassed’

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On arriving back in the villa, Samantha got emotional as she said she felt ’embarrassed’ and felt like she had been a ‘placeholder’ until Grace came in

After a while had passed, Joey pulled Samantha for a chat.

‘I saw you upset earlier,’ he said, before Samantha replied: ‘I feel embarrassed if I’m honest I feel like I was a place holder until someone else came in.’

Joey then said he still wanted to carry things on with her, to which she said: ‘After what’s happened there why would I want to carry on?’

‘Did you kiss her?’ she asked. ‘I’m never going to win with someone you have history with. I’m just ashamed.

‘There’s nothing anyone can say to me that’s going to make me feel better. I’m just put next to Grace now and she’s beautiful.’

‘You’re beautiful what are you talking about,’ Joey replied, before Samantha pointed out that they hadn’t been physical in two weeks and it took him and Grace just one day.

Love Island fans rushed to X, formerly Twitter, to share their rage at Joey’s ‘manipulation’ by saying he wanted to continue their romance despite clearly wanting Grace.

They wrote: ‘”I still want to carry on” Joey is the biggest master manipulator I have ever seen,’;

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After a while had passed, Joey pulled Samantha for a chat

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‘I saw you upset earlier,’ he said, before Samantha replied: ‘I feel embarrassed if I’m honest I feel like I was a place holder until someone else came in’

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Joey then said he still wanted to carry things on with her, to which she said: ‘After what’s happened there why would I want to carry on?’

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‘You’re beautiful what are you talking about,’ Joey replied

‘Joey is blatantly lying to Samantha, he said to Grace he didn’t fancy Samantha so why is he gaslighting Sam being like “You’re the one who wanted to close things off.” WHY ARE THESE MEN LYING PIGS, just be honest ffs!’;

‘Joey is just very cruel and misleading. It’s bad that you’ve embarrassed the minute a bombshell enters, the least you can do is be honest,’;

‘Joey is actually very scary because not only does he downplay the situation with Grace, he gaslights Samantha in making her think she’s crazy and overacting and then tries to “be there for her” like he’s acc evil,’;

‘The audacity of Joey to demand communication with Samantha when you were on a different villa telling Grace that you missed her lips. MEN,’;

‘Not Joey gaslighting Samantha now….,’;

‘Joey is gaslighting this girl. Why’s he still lying? He clearly wants only Grace, so why is he still stringing Sam along? Talkin bout, “I want to be here for you” as in what way? Please leave that girl alone.’

Fans of the show were also furious about Joey entering the villa after the sleepover and not going straight to talk to Samantha.

They said: ‘I feel like this isn’t an exaggeration bc he didn’t say bye to Sam OR hi to her when he came back- like yes her sleeping on the daybeds was INSANE but now Joey knows what he did and is acting like he’s the victim….’;

Love Island fans rushed to X, formerly Twitter, to share their rage at Joey’s ‘manipulation’ by saying he wanted to continue their romance despite clearly wanting Grace

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To make matters worse, Joey then pulled Grace for a chat on the daybeds that evening while Samantha was inside

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The pair talked about their connection and Joey said he did not want to sleep alone, before asking Grace to join him in The Hideaway overnight

‘I genuinely believe that joey should’ve handled the situation better, I feel for Samantha,’;

‘Ronnie pulling harriet before Joey has even looked at Samantha.. oh it’s bad,’; ‘The fact that Joey hasn’t even spoke to Samantha is so peak,’;

‘Joey expecting Samantha to go to him… What a loser and manchild,’; ‘Joey must be secretly relieved that he can delay the moment he has to speak to Sam.’

To make matters worse, Joey then pulled Grace for a chat on the daybeds that evening while Samantha was inside.

The pair talked about their connection and Joey said he did not want to sleep alone, before asking Grace to join him in The Hideaway overnight.

Joey then leaned in and kissed Grace passionately on the daybeds in full view of everyone – as he was spotted by some of the girls who ran straight to tell Samantha.

Fans of the show were also furious about Joey entering the villa after the sleepover and not going straight to talk to Samantha