‘How can you call Joey Essex stupid – he’s a millionaire at 34’ says Towie’s Diags as he hits back over Love Island row

JOEY Essex’s former Towie co-star and pal James ‘Diags’ Bennewith has hit back at Casa Amor bombshell Blade Siddiqi took a swipe at him.

Joey, 33, shot to fame on Towie in 2011 and famously claimed he couldn’t tell the time.

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Blade‘s dig came during a villa game Joey kissed his former fling Emma Milton after the villa received a text telling the oldest boy to snog the oldest girl.

But Blade suggested Joey wouldn’t be able to grasp the challenge quickly enough to win, describing him as “not the sharpest tool in the box”.

Blade is currently coupled up with Joey’s ex Grace Jackson.

Now Diags, 33, has jumped to the defence of his mate and pointed out he must be doing something right to be a millionaire in his thirties.

Speaking exclusively to The Sun, he said: “Some idiot was talking about him being stupid – that butler in the buff geezer – how can you call him stupid he is a multi-millionaire. 

“He is 33.. he went, ‘he is old and he is really thick.’ I thought, ‘he is smarter than you!’ You are not sitting there in your £3million house.”

Diags continued: “It is such a sh*t stereotype – academically he might not be the smartest person in the world but not everyone has to be academic to be clever.

“He is really clued on. . . he knows how to earn money – he is good at his job – his job is to be entertaining on tv and he is brilliant at it, he doesn’t know his algebra, who cares?!

After Blade’s sly dig Jessy Potts – who is coupled up with Joey – hit back.

She said: “He’s not that dumb, leave him alone.

“Come on now, he’s not.”

Her remarks were met with raised eyebrows from villa rival Grace, who had been partnered with Joey before Jessy arrived and stole him from her.