Whether it's his lothario days on TOWIE or his beloved bromance with Sam Thompson that springs to mind when you think of Pete Wicks, you are about to see the reality star-turned-podcast host in a brand new light: specifically the blinding dazzle of the Strictly Come Dancing ballroom.
Pete, 36, is taking to the dancefloor alongside Love Island's Tasha Ghouri, Chris McCausland, JLS singer JB Gill and Toyah Willcox amongst 11 famous faces.
While fellow 2024 contestant Tasha called the opportunity a 'total dream come true', Pete took a more apprehensive stance, saying, 'Dancing live in front of the nation every Saturday? Absolutely terrifying. But anyone who knows me knows I love a challenge and trying new things, so I'm genuinely looking forward to getting stuck in.'
Curious to know more about the tattooed heartthrob, including who is consistently mistaken for Joe Wicks' relative? Grazia has you covered.
Who is Pete Wicks?
First famous as a reality star on The Only Way is Essex, Pete has 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, which will hit bookshelves next month.
Pete joined TOWIE in 2015 and remained a fan-favourite cast member until 2021. 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 appeared on numerous shows including The Underdog: Josh Must Win, The Celebrity Circle and Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, but it was 2018 on Celebs Go Dating when he met Made in Chelsea alumni Sam, 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 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.
But she could not appear more excited for Pete, writing under his Strictly announcement, 'This makes me so happy. You’re going to have the best time. I am so proud of you. I cannot wait to see you in some sparkles and maybe even some hot pants [sic]'. Meanwhile, her boyfriend wrote, 'I….might….cry…. [sic] you’re going to be a sparkling sequin starrrrr!!! [sic] Love you brother.'
Who is Pete Wicks' partner on Strictly?
Pete is paired with Polish professional dancer Jowita Przystal. He has already praised the 30 year old, saying, 'She makes me really happy.' They have sparked romance rumours after being seen walking his dogs together, and being affectionate towards each other.
'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.'
What was Pete Wicks' first dance on Strictly - and what was his score?
For the first live show, Pete and Jowita danced the Paso Doble to Breathe by The Prodigy. Their routine left the judges rather unimpressed, who gave them a score of 17, with Motsi Mabuse and Anton du Beke handing out 5. Despite their disappointing score, Jowita told Pete to keep his head up and not lose confidence.
'Tonight is the night you proved you can. You can,' she told him. 'Because you've danced a beautiful Paso Doble and I'm looking forward to another week of rehearsals.'
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.'
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.
How tall is Pete Wicks?
Pete previously joked he's 'only 5ft 10 on a good day'.
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 was with his former TOWIE co-star Megan McKenna, who he dated for a year and a half in 2016. He also had romances with TOWIE faces Jess Wright, Shelby Tribble, Chloe Sims and Ella Rae Wise.
He is since rumoured to have struck up a romance with Love Island icon Maura Higgins, after the pair were pictured kissing at Broadwick Soho Hotel.
Maura added to the rumour mill by commenting, 'According to The Sun…I know what those hips can do [sic] PROUD OF YOU!!!!!!!!' under his Strictly news.
How old is Pete Wicks?
Pete Wicks is 35. He was born on 1 November, 1988.
Where does Pete Wicks live?
Pete lives in Harlow, Essex, with his two rescue French Bulldogs Peggy and Eric.
What does Pete Wicks do for a living?
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. He has been on Celebs Go Dating three times - in 2019, returning for Celebs Go Virtual Dating the following year and in 2022. He 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. Pete has also made appearances on Sunday Brunch, Celebrity Juice and Supermarket Sweep. He gamely took part in the Christmas edition of The Real Full Monty in 2023.
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 a daughter?
Pete Wicks does not have children.
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.