When he was announced as a star of this year’s Strictly Come Dancing lineup, Pete Wicks was considered as an unlikely signing by some.
A veteran of reality TV, the star has featured in all manner of series, from Celebs Go Dating to Masterchef, and more recently Celebrity SAS.
But after being paired with professional Jowita Przystal, Pete has already won over viewers just two weeks into the new series, and despite insisting he has little dance experience, has already been praised by the judges for his progress.
This weekend, he and Jowita will take to the dancefloor with a Samba to the theme song of the 1997 film George Of The Jungle, hoping to earn higher than their score of 22 last week.
Pete ditched his job in the City when he joined the lineup for The Only Way Is Essex back in 2015, but relationship woes and a messy split from Megan McKenna saw him painted as one of the show’s biggest bad boys.
Pete Wicks has become an unlikely star of this year’s Strictly Come Dancing, with many fans praising his ‘likeable’ persona after shaking off his bad boy image
However, Pete has found a whole new audience by leaving fans in hysterics with his chart-topping podcast with best pal Sam Thompson, after the pair formed a close bond while appearing on Celebs Go Dating.
Through his podcast success, supporting Sam on his I’m A Celeb stint, and simultanous appearances on SAS and Strictly, many fans have now praised Pete for showing a whole new side of himself.
Fans have also been taking to social media to praise Pete’s appearance on the ballroom floor, with posts branding him ‘likeable’ and saying they’ve ‘warmed to him a lot more than they expected to.’
He’s also overcome his fair share of heartache, including the death of his Nan, who he called his ‘best friend’ in 2022, and saving his mother’s life when he was just 12 years old.
MailOnline takes a look at how Pete has ditched his bad boy image to become one of Strictly’s most surprising heartthrobs…
After growing up in Essex, Pete’s career was kickstarted in 2015 when he made a guest appearance on TOWIE alongside James Locke, and went onto star on the show until 2023
While he left viewers in hysterics due to his dry sense of humour, it was his love life that dominated the show, including a fiery romance with Megan McKenna
Pete has sparked romance rumours with Love Island star Maura Higgins, with the pair putting on a flirty display during a night out earlier this week