Whether it's his lothario days on TOWIE or his beloved bromance with Sam Thompson that spring to mind when you think of Pete Wicks, the reality star-turned-podcast host is showing himself in a brand new light. Specifically, the blinding dazzle of the Strictly Come Dancing ballroom.
But while fellow 2024 contestant Tasha Ghouri called the opportunity a 'total dream come true', dancing novice Pete took a more apprehensive stance, saying, 'Dancing live in front of the nation every Saturday? Absolutely terrifying!'
Despite that, Pete's dedication to Strictly Come Dancing and his improvement week on week meant that he's become a firm favourite with the public - and of course us! And his tribute to his late nan last weekend with his couple's choice routine to The Best by Nicotine Dolls was so beautiful and emotional. No wonder it earned Pete his first ten in the competition.
Curious to know more about the tattooed heartthrob, who is consistently mistaken for Joe Wicks' relative? Grazia has you covered...
What is Pete Wicks famous for?
First finding fame as a reality star on The Only Way is Essex, Pete has since moved on to pastures new and is now a host on comedy podcast Staying Relevant with best pal Sam Thompson.
He has also written a memoir, Never Enough: My Words Unfiltered, which will hit bookshelves last month and is described as 'a no-holds-barred account of life through Pete Wicks' lens'.
Pete joined TOWIE in 2015 and remained a fan-favourite cast member until 2021 when he left the show. After bidding farewell to the ITVBe show, Pete later admitted he didn't miss it. He told Not My Bagg podcast, 'I'd been on [TOWIE] for quite a long time and I owe the show quite a lot.
'The show was good for me for a lot of stuff that I do now. I was starting to become the Ian Beale of TOWIE, just this sort of drunk in the corner, so it was definitely time for me to f**king do one.'
Pete has since appeared on numerous reality shows including The Underdog: Josh Must Win, The Celebrity Circle and Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins (twice), but it was 2018 on Celebs Go Dating (his first stint on the show) when he met Made in Chelsea alumni Sam Thompson, and the pair became firm friends on their - unsuccessful - quest for love.
Since then, one is rarely spotted without the other. If Sam and Pete aren't making viral TikTok content, they're recording their podcast, jetting off on holiday with one another, or hosting red carpets at showbiz events. By default, Pete has also struck up a close relationship with Sam's long-term girlfriend, former Love Island star Zara McDermott, who starred on Strictly Come Dancing last year. She was partnered with Graziano Di Prima, who, it emerged last month, has been axed from the show after kicking her during rehearsals.
Who is Pete Wicks' partner on Strictly?
Pete is paired with Polish professional dancer Jowita Przystał. Jowita, 30, joined the show in 2021 and won the following year with wildlife presenter Hamza Yassin.
Is Pete Wicks dating Jowita Przystał?
As often happens on Strictly, rumours of the 'Strictly curse' have hit this year, with speculation that Pete and Jowita are dating. The pair have sparked romance rumours after being seen walking his dogs together, and being affectionate towards each other.
On their partnership, Pete has praised the dancer while keeping coy about any romance. 'I don’t think there could be a better partner for me than Jowita, naturally we just get on really well, anyway,' he said. 'I wanted to be around someone that I could spend so much time with and just naturally enjoy being around. That’s exactly what I’ve got, because it makes everything so much easier. I literally could not have got a better person.'
How is Pete Wicks doing on Strictly?
Pete's Strictly journey didn't get off to the best start, as the reality star scored just 17 out of 40 for his week one Paso Doble (a notoriously tricky dance). However, he has improved significantly since then with his scores improving with every dance.
Pete has revealed training for the show has given him a new appreciation for his body. 'I’ve learned more about my body in this amount of time than anything,' he said. 'Obviously, there’s so much to learn when it comes to dancing, but I’ve never done it before, so I’m nowhere near knowing even a percent of what I need to know about dancing to be able to call myself a dancer.'
He continued, 'But what I have learned is a lot about my body and moving my body in ways that I’ve never moved it before. What I do know is more about how to move my body, and that’s all down to just listening to what Jowita tells me.
'I knew it was going to be physically taxing, what I didn’t expect was it was going to be mentally taxing as well. I think what I’ve found hardest is finding a way for me to be able to move, getting my brain to tell my body what to do.'
Which dance did Pete Wicks dedicate to his nan on Strictly?
Last weekend, Pete and Jowita had viewers in tears with their beautiful Couple's Choice routine to The Best by Nicotine Dolls which the pair dedicated to Pete's nan Doreen who passed away in 2022.
Speaking about the emotional backstory to the dance on Instagram Pete shared, 'I don’t know what to say… I ain’t always very good at talking about emotions but I wanted to thank every single one of you that voted last night or just resonated with our dance. We all lose people we love, it’s life… but someone once told me “don’t let the death of someone be the death of you” and it’s stuck in my head.
'My nan was my best friend and she would have loved watching me try and dance every Saturday night. This was just my way of sharing this experience with her. It wasn’t about the show or getting to Blackpool, it was just a thank you to my mum and my nan. I’m humbled by all of your kind words and support.'
What did Pete Wicks do for a living before reality TV?
Before he found fame on TOWIE, Pete's life was far from the glitz and glamour of today. He worked in the City as a director of a company that supplied consultant doctors to the NHS. 'I had a fairly good job. I was a director of a company for many years,' he said. 'We supplied consultant doctors to the NHS. It was a complete contrast to what I'm doing now.'
He was asked by TOWIE star James Lock, aka 'Lockie', if he'd like to join for one episode in 2015 and became a regular after he was recognised as a fan favourite.
What has Pete Wicks been in?
Pete's reality TV career took off, after he appeared on TOWIE so it'd probably be quicker to ask 'What hasn't Pete Wicks been in?'
He's been on Celebs Go Dating three times - in 2018, for Celebs Go Virtual Dating the following year and in 2022. He's also competed in Celebrity Island With Bear Grylls in 2018 and Celebrity MasterChef in 2020 before teaming up with best pal Sam for The Celebrity Circle, where they finished as runners-up.
2022 saw Pete appearing on Tipping Point: Lucky Stars and Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, where he left the show early due to injury, this year he gave the challenging show another go but didn't seem to fair much better.
Pete has also made appearances on Sunday Brunch, Celebrity Juice and Supermarket Sweep and he gamely took part in the Christmas edition of The Real Full Monty in 2023. Phew!
How did Pete Wicks meet Sam Thompson?
Pete and Sam first met on Celebs Go Dating in 2018, with the duo even going on a double date together. And while they didn't find love on the show, they found something more enduring - their friendship.
'What a guy @p_wicks01 you don’t see it all, but learned a lot of lessons from this dude having some self-confidence being one of them. Love you long time my man,' Sam posted after the show. The pair have gone on to star in their own show and host their own podcast, Staying Relevant.
Are Pete Wicks and Joe Wicks related?
The age-old question that seems to hang over Pete is whether he is related to fitness guru Joe Wicks. The answer is no, they are not brothers, despite sharing the same surname and a similar hairstyle with luscious, long locks.
On a recent episode of Staying Relevant, Pete revealed he and Joe - who rose to fame on YouTube during the pandemic thanks to his fitness videos - met for the first time. 'So in all the years, I have never actually met Joe Wicks. He came up to me, tapped me on the shoulder, and went, "Are you Joe Wicks?" and I went, 'Are you Pete Wicks?'" and we had a laugh together. Really really nice guy.'
In February last year, Pete revealed how a woman had mistaken him for Joe and said, 'I loved what you did in lockdown.'
Pete laughed, 'She thought I was 'f**king Joe Wicks.'
Who has Pete Wicks dated?
Pete's most high-profile relationship prior to 2024 was with his former TOWIE co-star Megan McKenna - who he dated for a year and a half in 2016. The pair eventually broke up and Megan welcomed son Landon with fiancé Oliver Burke earlier this year.
He also had romances with TOWIE faces Jess Wright, Shelby Tribble, Chloe Sims and Ella Rae Wise.
More recently, Pete is rumoured to have struck up a romance with Love Island icon Maura Higgins - who is rumoured to be heading to the I'm A Celeb jungle - after the pair were pictured kissing at Broadwick Soho Hotel. They also shared a tender moment at the Pride of Britain Awards last month.
What tattoos does Pete Wicks have?
When Pete was just 16, he had the words 'NEVER ENOUGH' - also the name of his 2024 memoir - tattooed across his body.
Speaking about that decision since he's joked, 'I was a deep, deep person so I had "never enough" because nothing’s ever enough - I still believe that.'
As Pete's George of the Jungle outfit during Strictly's movie week last month showcased the reality star's plethora of tattoos which includes his BFF Sam Thompson's face and the word "Chloe" along his hand which he got whilst dating Chloe Sims.
How old is Pete Wicks?
Pete Wicks is 36. He was born on 1 November, 1988.
How tall is Pete Wicks?
Pete previously joked he's 'only 5ft 10 on a good day', but according to the internet Pete stands at 1.78m aka 5ft 8.
Where does Pete Wicks live?
Pete lives in Harlow, Essex, with his two rescue French Bulldogs Peggy and Eric.
What dogs does Pete Wicks have?
A dog lover through and through, Pete has two rescue dogs - French bulldogs Eric and Peggy, whom he dotes on. Eric was rescued from Lithuania while Peggy came from a charity called French Bulldog Saviours, who he is an ambassador for.
'I prefer dogs to people. My dogs have changed my whole life, 100% for the better. They’ve made me more responsible and that’s what I try to get across. It’s a big responsibility and you can’t take it lightly,' he said.
Does Pete Wicks have any children?
Nope, no sons or daughters yet for Pete!
Millie Payne is a News and Entertainment Writer for Grazia. She has specialised in showbiz interviews, features, articles and roundups for over three years and loves combining her love for writing, talking and all things popular culture.