James Lock leaves fans baffled as he looks unrecognisable in Celebrity Ex On The Beach promo snap while announcing his appearance on show

James Lock left his fans baffled on Tuesday as he announced his appearance on the upcoming series of Celebrity Ex On The Beach.

The Only Way Is Essex star, 37, took to his Instagram page to share his promotional picture for the show, writing: ‘Watch the brand-new series of Celebrity Ex On The Beach on 19th March, only on @ParamountplusUK and @MTVUK #celebex.’

However, the picture drew questioning comments from his followers as they insisted he looked totally different from his usual appearance.

One person wrote: ‘Didn’t recognise you, face has changed. You had a face lift or something?’

While someone else asked: ‘Why does James look so different? That could be someone else! Completely didn’t recognise him.’

James Lock left his fans baffled on Tuesday as he announced his appearance on the upcoming series of Celebrity Ex On The Beach

The Only Way Is Essex star, 37, took to his Instagram page to share his promotional picture for the show

However, the picture drew questioning comments from his followers as they insisted he looked totally different from his usual appearance

Another person wrote: ‘My man @jameslock__ defying ageing.’

Someone else shared: ‘Who’s this guy and why does he look so different?’

The full line-up for Celebrity Ex On The Beach was revealed on Tuesday – including TOWIE, Love Island and MAFs stars.

The nine singletons will jet off to Gran Canaria on the lookout for love, while awaiting the fate of their exes’ arrivals, in the explosive new series on MTV and Paramount+ next month.

TOWIE star Yazmin Oukhellou, 29, will reunite with her ex of four years James Lock, 37, for the first time on screen.

And it could prove awkward for Lockie as his brief love interest and Yaz’s former best friend Chloe Brockett, 23, also makes an appearance.

Love Island winners Paige Turley, 26, and Finn Tapp, 24, are also set to face a frosty encounter after ending their three-year relationship just months before filming.

Joe Garratt, 27, who has just appeared in Love Island All Stars, will also take part.

The full line-up for Celebrity Ex On The Beach: (L-R Yazmin Oukhellou, Jarren Evans, Ashley Resch, James Pendergrass, Chloe Veitch, Finn Tapp, Ivorian Doll, Joe Garratt and Tamara Joy

TOWIE star Yazmin Oukhellou (right) , 29, will reunite with her ex of four years James Lock , 37, for the first time on screen – but Chloe Brockett (right) has also had a fling with Lockie

He appeared on the fifth series of the show and formed a romance with  Lucie Donlan, who is now engaged to series six star Luke Mabbott.

Joe went on to have a short stint on TOWIE where he dated Frankie Simms.

Married At First Sight Australia’s Tamara Joy, Jessika Power and Callum Izzard, of Ibiza Weekender fame, will also take part.

Completing the line-up is rapper Ivorian Doll, Too Hot To Handle’s Chloe Veitch and James Pendergrass, and F Boy Island’s Jarred Evans.

The new series will begin on Tuesday 19th March, with episodes airing weekly.

Yaz reportedly quit her gig on Ex On The Beach just days into filming because she thrown off guard by the arrival of her ex-boyfriend James.

A source told The Sun: ‘Yaz knew filming Celeb Ex On The Beach would be challenging as the whole purpose of the show is to create drama.

‘But within days of James arriving, she realised she couldn’t cope with being in the villa with him and decided to leave.

‘She was prepared to give up her time on the show for her own mental health. Having been through everything she has been through in the last year, Yaz has realised life is too short to be in situations where she is unhappy or feels uncomfortable.’

The nine singletons will jet off to Gran Canaria on the lookout for love, while awaiting the fate of their exes, (pictured Paige Turley, Finley Tapp and Chloe Veitch)

Yaz reportedly quit her gig on Ex On The Beach just days into filming after James arrived to the island

Yazmin was reportedly thrown off guard by the arrival of her ex (pictured during their relationship)

Chloe B, who’s 14 years his junior began her fling with James after lockdown lifted, and the pair connected romantically during nights out – but Yaz was furious about the betrayal

MAFs’ Jessika Power, 31, in on the lookout for love, but will she run into an ex?

Married At First Sight Australia’s Tamara Joy (left) and Too Hot To Handle’s Chloe Veitch (right) will also star in the new series

Love Island winners Paige Turley, 26, and Finn Tapp , 24, are also set to face a frosty encounter after ending their three year relationship just months before filming

The exes won the 2020 series of Winter Love Island (pictured)

Joe Garratt , 27, who has just appeared in Love Island All Stars, will also take part

Playboy model Ashley Resch (left) and rapper Ivorian Doll (right) also form the line-up

Jarred  Evans reached the final of the first series of Fboy Island. As a self-proclaimed ‘nice guy’ he described himself as outgoing, charismatic and a gentleman’

James and Yazmin first split in 2021 but they briefly reunited in 2022 after James was spotted leaving her house after spending the night together.

The series kicks off with celebrities enjoying First Night First Dates before the first ex crashes the party.

With exes coming in thick and fast, will any of the newly formed couples survive the arrivals?

The new series of Celebrity Ex On The Beach starts on Paramount+ and MTV UK on Tuesday 19th March.  

Too Hot To Handle’s James Pendergrass, who appeared in series four, said he usually only dates ‘women with a bigger bum than him’