Pete Wicks’ incredible journey from Towie side character to Strictly star

Pete Wicks is astir to prima successful 1 of the biggest shows connected British TV – Strictly Come Dancing – but however did helium get here?

BBC’s jewel successful the crown curates a database of stars each twelvemonth that they cognize the federation volition autumn for (even if a fewer initially fume: ‘Never heard of them’), and Pete, 36, was a harmless stake for the bosses.

But helium didn’t get to this constituent by chance, determination has been plentifulness of graft that has led to him becoming 1 of lone a fistful of world stars who’ve been permitted to instrumentality portion successful its full history.

So portion helium whitethorn person been introduced connected The Only Way is Essex as a person of James Lock, he’s present asserted himself arsenic a world King each connected his own.

Let’s instrumentality a look astatine however he’s risen the world ranks each the mode to the top…

Towie atrocious boy

The Towie casting squad person worked hard implicit the years to prime ‘normal’ radical who volition let viewers an penetration into their mundane lives, and they came crossed Pete done his transportation to Lockie, 37.

Before the world show, Pete was moving 16-hour days arsenic manager of a institution that supplied advisor doctors to the NHS. Pete antecedently wrote successful his book, For the Love of Frenchies: The Dogs that Changed My Life, that portion of his information for joining the bid was truthful helium could beryllium astatine location more, and truthful get a dog.

This determination meant that successful 2015 a world prima was calved during a formed travel to Marbella. He instantly stood retired from the formed with his tattoos, agelong hairsbreadth and nickname ‘Pirate Pete’. The newbie offered thing antithetic from the different TOWIE stars, and truthful instantly caught the attraction of fans.

He ne'er expected to instrumentality astir for long, instead, thought he’d ’cause a spot of occupation past spell backmost to normal’ but producers had different ideas…

His on/off relationships with Megan McKenna, past Shelby Tribble, followed by Chloe Sims and finally, Ella Rae Wise, helped to get him endless surface time. However, helium wasn’t ever successful viewers’ bully books – particularly erstwhile helium was caught texting different women down fan-favourite Megan’s back conscionable aft gifting her a Rolex.

However, helium had plentifulness of redeeming qualities specified arsenic being a loyal friend, his adust consciousness of humour that often brought much-needed airy to the drama, and the mode adjacent his erstwhile partners couldn’t enactment huffy astatine him.

Despite his pugnacious feline persona, Pete besides could beryllium incredibly sweet. On 1 Christmas special, helium supportively mouthed the words to Mariah’s Carey’s All I Want for Christmas is You portion then-girlfriend Megan, 31, performed connected stage.

Spreading his world TV wings from SAS: Who Dares Wins to Celebrity MasterChef

All bully things travel to an extremity and successful 2021 Pete decided it was clip to measurement distant from Towie for bully aft giving the bid six years of his life.

‘I was starting to go the Ian Beale of Towie, conscionable this benignant of drunk successful the corner, truthful it was decidedly clip for maine to f*****g bash one,’ helium stated connected the Not My Bagg podcast.

However, he’s ever been wide that he’s grateful to the bid arsenic it’s led to tons of different opportunities. While connected Towie, helium dabbled successful different bid including Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls, Celebs Go Dating and Celebrity MasterChef but aft his departure, helium began to popular up much connected formed lists.

Pete took portion successful SAS: Who Dares Wins, earlier withdrawing aboriginal connected aesculapian grounds – helium knocked himself unconscious and broke his ribs during a challenge.

The Real Full Monty allowed Pete to amusement his charitable broadside arsenic helium stripped disconnected to rise consciousness for cancer. He’s besides made little appearances on Joe Lycett’s Got Your Back, CelebAbility, Sunday Brunch, Celebrity Juice, and Supermarket Sweep, successful bid to support his sanction retired there.

The powerfulness of Sam Thompson

Pete’s relationship with Sam Thompson has led to tons of TV projects for them both.

After initially forming a narration connected Celebs Go Dating successful 2019, they person built a genuine enslaved that their fans person lapped up.

‘One of the loveliest things astir Sam is he’s precise unfastened astir his feelings. Sam has been instrumental successful making maine much unfastened astir my feelings,’ helium precocious shared astatine an lawsuit to beforehand his caller publication Never Enough.

Pete’s moody persona becomes undeniably funnier erstwhile combined with 32-year-old Sam’s enthusiastic demeanour.

The brace initially capitalised connected the involvement successful their dynamic by posting videos connected their societal media. Sam would prank Pete by hiring fake paparazzi, oregon effort to thatch him the steps to viral creation routines. Pete was ne'er blessed to beryllium there, and the behind-the-scenes antics provided conscionable arsenic overmuch hilarity arsenic the finished product.

With a committed assemblage wanting more, they managed to container themselves a Channel 4 amusement – Pete and Sam’s Reality News. The brace gave a rundown of the biggest personage stories of the week, and threw successful their ain blistery takes connected splits, showmances. They besides interviewed celebrated faces including Celebs Go Dating adept Anna Williamson, vigor presenter Harriet Rose, and Pete’s erstwhile emotion involvement Ella, allowing Pete to physique connected his presenting skills.

They besides appeared unneurotic connected Celebrity Circle, pretending to beryllium Rachel Riley, but they mislaid retired to Lady Leshur who was catfishing arsenic Big Narstie.

Taking power of their ain narrative, they launched the podcast Staying Relevant. In each episode, they sermon their latest attempts to enactment celebrated (seems to beryllium going beauteous well). They’ve precocious taken the amusement connected the roadworthy and managed to merchantability retired The London Palladium.

Wherever Pete is Sam isn’t acold behind, and vice versa – erstwhile Sam won I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here, it was Pete, not his woman Zara McDermott waiting for him astatine the extremity of the bridge, and present Pete is connected Strictly, Sam volition nary uncertainty person a front-row seat.

Some questioned Pete’s sanction successful the formed database aft Zara, 27, has been unfastened astir her antagonistic acquisition with Graziano Di Prima successful the grooming room. However, he’s called her the ‘driving force’ down his inclusion.

‘Zara is benignant of the 1 who pushed maine to bash it due to the fact that she loves the show,’ helium told Lorraine.

TV domination

Pete whitethorn person started disconnected arsenic a broadside character, but he’s present got axenic main-character energy. He was selected arsenic conscionable 1 of 3 world stars to look connected Josh Must Win earlier this twelvemonth – a bid which saw Pete alongside Vicky Pattison, Amber Rose, and Nick Grimshaw usage their cognition of the TV manufacture to manipulate a world bid to guarantee the titular quality won.

While Pete’s travel up to the constituent has seen him deed galore vocation highs, the adjacent fewer months are going to spot him emergence adjacent higher.

He volition beryllium dominating the TV docket and appearing connected the container 4 times per week – springiness idiosyncratic other a accidental Pete!

For arsenic agelong arsenic helium remains successful Strictly Come Dancing, he’ll beryllium successful the primetime slot connected Saturday and Sundays. He’s lone the 2nd Towie prima who’s been capable to get a sparkly footwear successful the doorway (after Mark Wright), and his announcement was met with overmuch excitement. Out of each the Instagram posts connected the authoritative Strictly Come Dancing, the 1 announcing Pete was the 2nd most-liked (after Tasha Ghouri).

Ahead of his debut connected the 20th-anniversary series, Pete said: ‘It’s exciting, it’s evidently going to beryllium a large twelvemonth and it’s bully to beryllium portion of thing truthful iconic.’

Fans volition past conscionable person to alteration the transmission astatine 9pm to drawback him connected SAS: Who Dares Wins, which volition besides person a Sunday and Monday episode.

On apical of that, he’s acceptable to contiguous his ain series, Pete Wicks: For Dog’s Sake for U&W. Produced by BBC Studios Entertainment, the docu-series volition travel Pete arsenic helium works with Dogs Trust to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome susceptible dogs.

‘Up until a fewer months agone my main imagination was to bash a amusement with dogs and I was fortunate capable to movie for it this summer,’ helium said.

‘Animals marque maine happy, they marque maine consciousness good. They unrecorded for the contiguous and I deliberation that’s a beauteous happening we arsenic humans don’t truly do. If we were much similar animals that would beryllium amazing!’

Strictly Come Dancing returns connected Saturday, September 14 astatine 7:20pm connected BBC One and iPlayer.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a personage story, video oregon pictures get successful interaction with the Metro.co.uk amusement squad by emailing america [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 oregon by visiting our Submit Stuff leafage – we’d emotion to perceive from you.

MORE : Strictly 2024 prima Tasha Ghouri’s emergence to fame and dating past with Giovanni Pernice

MORE : The guidelines Strictly dancers indispensable instrumentality to aft BBC ‘warning’

MORE : Who is Strictly’s Dr Punam Krishan? NHS GP’s travel to BBC star