There wasn’t a dry eye in the house last night when Sam Thompson was crowned the winner of I’m A Celebrity. But there was one moment that stood out more than the rest: Sam’s emotional reunion with his best friend, Pete Wicks.
After Sam claimed the jungle crown, he rushed over the show’s iconic bridge to hug Pete, who scooped him into one of the best bear hugs we’ve seen, complete with a kiss on the cheek at the end. Pete met Sam instead of his girlfriend, Zara McDermott, as they had thought she would still be on Strictly at the time. But despite Zara being absent, Sam and Pete's reunion certainly didn't disappoint in terms of the sob factor.
The emotional moment captured the attention of viewers, who took to social media to share their thoughts. One user wrote on X ‘That Sam and Pete reunion on the bridge...what a bromance #ImACeleb.’ Another agreed, writing ‘Sam and Pete’s reunion on the bridge had me sobbing...#ImACeleb,’ while a third user posted ‘Nah why am I sat crying at Sam and Pete’s reunion on I’m a celeb ffs #ImACeleb , that was so cute.’
On Friday night's episode, viewers were also left in tears after Pete and Sam had their first reunion in the jungle. After embracing each other, Sam said 'you smell like Pete', to which Pete quipped 'You smell like you woke up in a wheely bin.' Pete then took Sam into another hug, saying 'I love you so much man. Come here, I love you so much.'
Sam and Pete have been close friends for five years after meeting on Celebs Go Dating in 2018. They were paired up on the show to help find each other dates, with Pete supporting Sam when his date ‘zoned out’ mid-conversation. ‘You don’t let anyone tell you they’re zoning out when they’re out with you,’ Pete told him.
While neither of them managed to find love on the show, they did leave with an incredible bromance – and have become inseparable ever since, regularly gushing about each other in interviews and on social media. On Pete's birthday, Sam shared an adorable picture of them hugging in a swimming pool with the caption 'Happy birthday to my best mate. @p_wicks01 I honestly couldn’t imagine life without you big guy, and as much as you say you hate me, I know this photo will say different. It’s my favourite picture and it’s from my birthday when Pete came and surprised me. You are the most amazing person mate and I am honoured to be able to peel off your harsh outer onion walls right in to your gooey centre. Happy 35th love you brother.'
The pair went on to start their own podcast, Staying Relevant, in which they regularly share insights into their friendship. While at times Pete acts begrudgingly towards Sam (he once joked that he 'despised' Sam on a 'cellular level'), there are also heart-warming times when he reveals just how much Sam means to him deep down. In an interview with KISS, which has been shared on TikTok, Pete is asked ‘what’s one thing you’ve never told Sam?’ He replies 'Despite the fact that he looks at me like his dad, I actually look up to Sam… because he’s one of the happiest, most genuine people I know.’
Their deep bond is reflected in the way Pete has supported Sam throughout his time in the jungle. In November, Pete defended Sam from online trolls, who called him ‘annoying’ and ‘attention-seeking’ – despite Sam having been diagnosed with ADHD and autism earlier this year. ‘People should embrace that because he's entertaining and that's what the show is about. He should be defined by the fact that he's a really fun, positive guy and that's his personality aside from having ADHD and autism,’ he told The Daily Mail.
What made Pete and Sam's embrace so heart-warming to watch is the fact that we don't see enough male friendship on-screen. Of course, popular culture isn't short of bromances - we've had Joey and Chandler on Friends, J.D. and Christopher Turk in Scrubs and Sheldon and Leonard in the Big Bang Theory, to name a few. Love Island over the years has also seen its fair share of bromances, from Tommy and Curtis to Chris and Kem.
But generally, male friendships are often portrayed on screen as surface level, competitive and in need of emotional depth. So, there's something refreshing about seeing two male besties show love for each other like that IRL. Just take the pure moment between the pair on Friday night's episode, as Pete gave words of encouragement to Sam. 'Look at me, you’ve got this. You’re my brother. I love you so much,' he said, while while holding Sam's head in his hands.
No, we're not crying - you are.