Joey Essex and Danny Aarons have revealed that their friendship was put through the wringer during filming of ITV's new celebrity gameshow The Box. In an exclusive interview with Capital, the pair admitted that the competitive nature of the show tested their trust, with Danny confirming it was "broken but restored". Joey, however, was less forthcoming, quickly deflecting when asked if trust was ever broken, saying: "Let's not talk about that."
Unlikely alliance formed in The Box
The Box brings together ten unlikely celebrities, all competing to become the show's first-ever winner. The lineup includes Love Island's Shakira Khan, reality TV star Joey Essex, YouTuber Danny Aarons, JLS's JB Gill, The Chase's Jenny Ryan, broadcaster Ranvir Singh, Dragons' Den entrepreneur Sara Davies, football pundit and former Liverpool captain Graeme Souness, comedian Ellie Taylor, and former MP John Bercow.
While the show features team challenges, only one contestant can emerge victorious, which forced the competitive side out of the celebrities. For Joey and Danny, who quickly formed a strong bond, this competitive element put their new-found friendship to the test.
Trust tested in the competition
Speaking about the rapport he and Danny built, Joey told Capital: "Well, it was good because again, in The Box, you're all against each other, and like, to know and look someone in the eyes and be like, 'Okay, we're definitely a team. You sort of had a bit of an edge.'"
Despite their friendship, Joey explained that it was a constant test of trust, saying: "It's every man for himself. Realistically, in the end, Danny could have gone, 'Actually, you know what? I want to win, so I'm just gonna not help Joey.'"
When asked if the trust was ever broken, Joey was quick to say: "Let's not talk about that." However, Danny interjected, adding: "It was broken but restored." Joey said that it was a sign of "true friendship" because they were able to restore their trust after it was broken.
Competitive spirit and new lessons
As The Box cast were not allowed to give any spoilers, it remains unknown which of them broke the trust, but viewers will find out in upcoming episodes. Danny admitted that he was extremely competitive during filming and even gave himself the nickname "monster". He joked: "Joey made me competitive, but in a nice way. Ranvir made me competitive in a sour way."
On the other hand, Joey told Capital that The Box taught him to be more "selfish" in life, saying: "I'm not a selfish person. I feel like I need to be more selfish... I'm too nice." The reality TV star added: "I feel like sometimes you've got to learn to be a little bit selfish sometimes. Because especially in this, like, you was a team player, but obviously half the time you wasn't."
The Box starts on ITV1 and ITVX at 8:15pm on Saturday 5 September and 8pm on Sunday 6 September. Gary Lineker hosts the show, which promises to deliver plenty of drama and unexpected twists as the celebrities battle it out for the title of The Box's first-ever winner.
