How Pete Wicks went from TV bad boy to much-loved Strictly star-Josie Copson-Entertainment – Metro

Pete Wicks has risen up through the reality TV ranks (Picture: BBC/Ray Burmiston)

Pete Wicks is starring in one of the biggest shows on British TV – Strictly Come Dancing – but how did he get here?

BBC’s jewel in the crown curates a list of stars every year that they know the nation will fall for (even if a few initially fume: ‘Never heard of them’), and Pete, 36, was a safe bet for the bosses.

But he didn’t get to this point by chance, there has been plenty of graft that has led to him becoming one of only a handful of reality stars who’ve been permitted to take part in its whole history.

So while he may have been introduced on The Only Way is Essex as a friend of James Lock, he’s now asserted himself as a reality King all on his own.

Let’s take a look at how he’s risen the reality ranks all the way to the top…

Towie bad boy

Pete joined Towie in 2015 (Picture: ITV / Lime Pictures)

The Towie casting team have worked hard over the years to pick ‘normal’ people who will allow viewers an insight into their everyday lives, and they came across Pete through his connection to Lockie, 37.

Before the reality show, Pete was working 16-hour days as director of a company that supplied consultant doctors to the NHS. Pete previously wrote in his book, For the Love of Frenchies: The Dogs that Changed My Life, that part of his motivation for joining the series was so he could be at home more, and therefore get a dog.

This decision meant that in 2015 a reality star was born during a cast trip to Marbella. The newbie offered something different from the other TOWIE stars which caught the attention of fans. He instantly stood out from the cast with his tattoos, long hair and nickname ‘Pirate Pete’.

Yet he never expected to stick around for long. Instead, he thought he’d ’cause a bit of trouble then go back to normal,’ but producers had other ideas…

Pete’s on/off relationship with Megan had many ups and downs (Picture: Simon Ford/Shutterstock)

His on/off relationships with Megan McKenna, then Shelby Tribble, followed by Chloe Sims and finally, Ella Rae Wise, helped to secure him endless screen time. However, he wasn’t always in viewers’ good books – especially when he was caught texting other women behind fan-favourite Megan’s back right after gifting her a Rolex.

Luckily, Pete had plenty of redeeming qualities such as his dry sense of humour that often brought much-needed light to the drama and the way even his former partners couldn’t stay mad at him.

Despite his tough guy persona, Pete also could be incredibly sweet. On one Christmas special, he supportively mouthed the words to Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas is You while then-girlfriend Megan, 31, performed on stage.

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

Pete started appearing on other series more after leaving Towie (Picture: Channel 4)

All good things come to an end and in 2021 Pete decided it was time to step away from Towie for good after giving the series six years of his life.

‘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*****g do one,’ he stated on the Not My Bagg podcast.

However, he’s always been clear that he’s grateful for the series as it’s led to lots of other opportunities. While on Towie, he dabbled in other series including Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls, Celebs Go Dating and Celebrity MasterChef but after his departure, he began to pop up more on cast lists.

Pete took part in SAS: Who Dares Wins, before withdrawing early on medical grounds – he knocked himself unconscious and broke his ribs during a challenge.

The Real Full Monty allowed Pete to show his charitable side as he stripped off to raise awareness for cancer. He’s also made brief appearances on Joe Lycett’s Got Your Back, CelebAbility, Sunday Brunch, Celebrity Juice, and Supermarket Sweep, in order to keep his name out there.

The power of Sam Thompson

Sam and Pete are besties (Picture: James Veysey/Shutterstock)

Pete’s friendship with Sam Thompson has led to lots of TV projects for both parties.

After initially forming a relationship on Celebs Go Dating in 2019, they have built a genuine bond that their fans have lapped up.

‘One of the loveliest things about Sam is he’s very open about his feelings. Sam has been instrumental in making me more open about my feelings,’ he recently shared at an event to promote his new book Never Enough.

Pete’s moody persona becomes undeniably funnier when combined with 32-year-old Sam’s enthusiastic demeanour. This was evident when they appeared together on Celebrity Circle, pretending to be Rachel Riley, but they lost out to Lady Leshur who was catfishing as Big Narstie.

The pair initially capitalised on the interest in their dynamic by posting videos on their social media. Sam would prank Pete by hiring fake paparazzi, or try to teach him the steps to viral dance routines. Pete was never happy to be there, and the behind-the-scenes antics provided just as much hilarity as the finished product.

Sam and Pete host a podcast together (Picture: Staying Relevant)

With a committed audience wanting more, they managed to bag themselves a Channel 4 show – Pete and Sam’s Reality News. The pair gave a rundown of the biggest celebrity stories of the week, and threw in their own hot takes on splits, and showmances. They also interviewed famous faces including Celebs Go Dating expert Anna Williamson, radio presenter Harriet Rose, and Pete’s former love interest Ella, allowing Pete to build on his presenting skills.

Taking control of their own narrative, they launched the podcast Staying Relevant. In each episode, they discuss their latest attempts to stay famous (which seems to be going pretty well). They’ve recently taken the show on the road and managed to sell out The London Palladium.

Pete was waiting for Sam when he left the jungle (Picture: ITV)

Wherever Pete is Sam isn’t far behind, and vice versa – when Sam won I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here, it was Pete, not his girlfriend Zara McDermott waiting for him at the end of the bridge, and now Pete is on Strictly, Sam will no doubt have a front-row seat.

Some questioned Pete’s name in the cast list after Zara, 27, has been open about her negative experience with Graziano Di Prima in the training room. However, he’s called her the ‘driving force’ behind his inclusion.

‘Zara is kind of the one who pushed me to do it because she loves the show,’ he told Lorraine.

TV domination

2024 has been Pete’s year (Picture: Channel 4)

Pete may have started off as a side character, but he’s now got pure main-character energy.

He was selected as just one of three reality stars to appear on Josh Must Win earlier this year – a series which saw Pete alongside Vicky Pattison, Amber Rose, and Nick Grimshaw use their knowledge of the TV industry to manipulate a reality series to ensure the titular character won.

While Pete’s journey up to this point has seen him hit many career highs, the next few months are going to see him rise even higher.

For as long as he remains in Strictly Come Dancing, he’ll be in the primetime slot on Saturday and Sundays. He’s only the second Towie star who’s been able to get a sparkly shoe in the door (after Mark Wright), and his announcement was met with much excitement. Out of all the Instagram posts on the official Strictly Come Dancing, the one announcing Pete was the second most-liked (after Tasha Ghouri).

Ahead of his debut on the 20th-anniversary series, Pete, who is partnered with Jowita Przystal, said: ‘It’s exciting, it’s obviously going to be a big year and it’s nice to be part of something so iconic.’

Pete is going to be all over our TV screens (Picture: BBC/Ray Burmiston)

Fans will also able to catch him on SAS: Who Dares Wins, for the second time, as it returns this weekend.

On top of that, he’s set to present his own series, Pete Wicks: For Dog’s Sake for U&W. Produced by BBC Studios Entertainment, the docu-series will follow Pete as he works with Dogs Trust to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome vulnerable dogs.

‘Up until a few months ago my main dream was to do a show with dogs and I was lucky enough to film for it this summer,’ he said.

‘Animals make me happy, they make me feel good. They live for the present and I think that’s a beautiful thing we as humans don’t really do. If we were more like animals that would be amazing!’

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

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