Joey Essex set for BBC documentary about his mum's suicide

Joey Essex will deal with the impact of his mother\'s suicide in a new BBC documentary.

The 30-year-old reality star is set to front new show \'Joey Essex: Who Am I?\' as a psychotherapist reveals how he has grown to create a series of personality "masks" to help cope with childhood heartbreak and trauma.

According to The Sun newspaper\'s Bizarre TV column, he said: "This documentary is really close to my heart.

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"Going on this journey to find the real me will be a personal challenge.

"But I hope it also highlights how important it is that other people who have experienced trauma know that they\'re not alone."

Joey, 30, was just 10 years old when his mum Tina took her own life.

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Now, the upcoming documentary will see specialists looking into the coping mechanisms the former \'TOWIE\' star has developed, and how they have changed through adulthood.

A BBC spokesperson added: "Behind the picture-perfect exterior is a man whose life and identity are in turmoil.

"Like so many kids affected by sudden trauma, he learnt to hide his true feelings behind a series of \'masks\' -- the joker, the charmer and the TV heart-throb.

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"Joey\'s found it increasingly difficult to drop the act and truly be himself. He realises that it\'s now time to confront his trauma."

It\'s said the one off programme will address how Joey might seem to enjoy fame and fortune, but he\'s still struggling after never processing Tina\'s death in 2001.

Earlier this year, he opened up on \'Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins\' as he revealed he struggled to say the word "mum" until his late 20s.

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He explained: "I had to deal with a lot of s***. My mum committed suicide when I was 10 which was difficult. It hardened me up a little bit. I can\'t explain it.

"It\'s made me tougher inside... I only sort of started being able to talk about it openly, saying the word mum three or four years ago."

\'Joey Essex: Who Am I?\' is set to air on BBC Three later this year.