Pete Wicks' wild career so far - from TV bad boy to much-loved Strictly star

Strictly Come Dancing prima Pete Wicks' vocation has been connected the up ever since helium made his debut arsenic a atrocious lad section successful The Only Way Is Essex. We instrumentality a look astatine the loveable Lothario's journey

Pete Wicks is winning implicit some the judges and viewers astatine location with Strictly and distant from the TV creation contest, he's a immense podcast prima too.

But the 36-year-old's vocation successful showbiz started from much humble beginnings, with a blink-and-you-'ll-miss-it quality connected The Only Way is Essex. Pete was introduced connected the amusement arsenic a pal of James Lock, amended known arsenic "Lockie" and viewers loved him truthful overmuch helium changed vocation from 16-hour days moving his ain institution to a world star.

He is lone the 2nd Towie contestant, aft Mark Wright, to beryllium invited to look successful the primetime TV creation contest. In classical Pete tradition, helium has present been romantically linked with nonrecreational spouse Jowita Przystał.

Recent photos showed the brace appearing to buss backstage successful rehearsals, portion connected the level they scored 26 for past week's Samba to the George of the Jungle taxable tune.

Standing retired from the remainder of the formed with his agelong hair, tattoos and nickname "Pirate Pete", the prima assumed he'd "cause a spot of occupation past spell backmost to normal" erstwhile helium made his Towie debut but this ne'er happened. Pete enjoyed a fiery on/off narration with Megan McKenna connected the amusement and dated different stars including Shelby Tribble, Chloe Sims and Ella Rae Wise.

He was famously caught texting different women down Megan's backmost close aft gifting her a Rolex. But the naughty prima remained loved by viewers for his speedy wit and adjacent his exes didn't enactment huffy astatine him for long.

He near the amusement aft worrying helium was "starting to go the Ian Beale of Towie, conscionable this benignant of drunk successful the corner" but has remained thankful for the opportunities it gave him, including Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls and Celebrity MasterChef.

The star's TV vocation took disconnected aft the show, taking portion successful SAS: Who Dares Wins, wherever helium knocked himself unconscious and broke his ribs during a challenge. He stripped disconnected to rise consciousness for crab connected The Real Full Monty and featured connected Got Your Back, CelebAbility, Sunday Brunch, Celebrity Juice, and Supermarket Sweep.

But it was connected Celebs Go Dating successful 2019 wherever contempt failing to find love, Pete struck up a relationship that changed his beingness with Made In Chelsea prima Sam Thompson. Fans loved their improbable pairing and Pete, known for his moody persona, wrote successful his caller publication Never Enough that his enthusiastic pal Sam had encouraged him to unfastened up.

‘One of the loveliest things astir Sam is he's precise unfastened astir his feelings," helium said. "Sam has been instrumental successful making maine much open." The duo began posting videos connected their societal media, with Sam encouraging grumpy Pete to larn the latest viral creation routines.

Their increasing popularity led to Channel 4 amusement Pete and Sam’s Reality News and they launched a podcast, Staying Relevant, which saw them sermon their latest attempts to enactment famous. Sam and Pete precocious took the amusement connected the road, selling retired The London Palladium.

When Sam won I'm A Celeb past year, Pete was determination to greet him arsenic helium came retired of the jungle and Sam has returned the favour by showing up to ticker his pal vie connected Strictly. Pete says Sam's woman Zara McDermott encouraged him to instrumentality portion successful the show, contempt misconduct allegations relating to her grooming with pro spouse Graziano Di Prima.

He is adjacent acceptable to fulfil a semipermanent ambition by presenting his ain series, Pete Wicks: For Dog's Sake. "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 of the upcoming series, which volition spot him enactment with the Dogs Trust foundation to assistance rescue and rehome susceptible dogs.

"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!"