Before slipping into his pink PVC trousers for Strictly Come Dancing, Pete Wicks was known for his ‘bad boy’ image from The Only Way Is Essex. However, he’s shown a softer side on the dance floor, telling OK! in an exclusive chat, “I’m an emotional peach! ” Fame first came to Pete, 36 – whose romance with Maura Higgins has been sizzling post her I’m A Celebrity stint – as a former TOWIE heartthrob, but lately, he’s peeled back layers of his persona, particularly through his explosive memoir ‘Never Enough’ and his heartfelt docuseries, ‘Pete Wicks: For Dogs’ Sake’. “I think people probably have a misconception of who they think I am, based on some of the things I’ve done previously,” he confides. “Over the years, I probably became a bit of a caricature of myself and had that ‘bad boy’ type image, which is not really who I was. It’s certainly not who I am now.” With a new crowd of admirers cheering him to the semi-finals of Strictly with Jowita Przystal as his partner, Pete feels like he’s struck gold.
The star admits his Strictly stint was ‘life-changing’ for him
(Image: BBC/Ray Burmiston)
“I do have new fans since Strictly and the reaction has been amazing – I never expected it,” he says. “People have been lovely. I am getting older now so it does change. It’s been about 10 years that I’ve been doing TV and people change. The person I am now is not who I was 10 years ago or who I’m going to be in 10 years’ time. I’ve kind of grown up through TV in the past decade – it’s weird.” Pete, who is the proud pet parent of two French bulldogs named Eric and Peggy, can’t wait to give viewers a deeper look into his life in his upcoming TV project, where he collaborates with Dogs Trust to rescue, rehabilitate, and re-home dogs in need. Opening up about his newest show, which he regards as a true passion project, Pete shares his lifelong dream: “For me, this is what I’ve always wanted to do. Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to work with animals and ever since having a bit of a platform, I wanted to do something with it. This show was life-changing for me.”
Pete has two rescue bulldogs, Eric and Peggy
“I spent a number of months at Dogs Trust, which is a charity and animal centre that is really close to my heart – it’s where one of my dogs, Eric, came from 10 years ago. So, that was a really beautiful full circle moment to go back and help out there and see what they do behind the scenes,” he said. He continues: “It’s heartwarming, It’s emotional, it’s full of puppies and sad cases too. We highlight the cruelty that goes on which is really, really important because, as much as no one likes to see cruelty, we bury our heads in the sand if we don’t see it.” His love for canines is unmistakable as he jokes about becoming a “crazy dog man” in the future. “It was very emotional for me,” he reveals. “Dogs are better than people – they have a beautiful innocence about them and a beautiful way of making you feel safe. They don’t care what you look like, where you’ve been, they don’t care about gossip – they don’t give a monkey’s about any of that. All they want is a little bit of love. They’re nothing short of a miracle.” He finishes with a chuckle, “If I had my way, I would live in the middle of nowhere away from society, just surrounded by dogs.”
Sam Thompson is the brother Pete ‘never wanted’, he jokes
(Image: James Gourley/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
However, there’s one person who’s certain to keep Pete Wicks from straying too far off track, and that’s his friend, Sam Thompson. Opening up about their close connection, Pete admitted: “Sam is really supportive. No matter what happens with him and me, we’re kind of each other’s No1 fan. I support him no matter what he does and vice versa. It’s a really beautiful thing – he’s the brother I never wanted! “. Sam particularly supported Pete during his time on Strictly, which he admits was a once in a life time experience. “Strictly was a really wild ride. I’ll be talking about that when I’m 80 years old. It’s not something I ever saw myself doing, but I’m so glad that I did it based on the fact that I got an amazing life experience and I’m really blessed to be in a position where I get to choose those things. For me, now, it’s about doing things that matter and things that I’m passionate about.” As we discuss TV, we can’t help but ask whether Pete would be up for heading Down Under and appearing on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, which Sam won back in 2023. “I’m A Celeb is a great show, all the challenges and everything look great. I don’t really have a fear of anything and I really like bugs and animals, so I think I’d enjoy it. You never know.” From the dancefloor to the jungle and his heartwarming new series, It seems Pete is only just getting started, and is taking showbusiness by storm. But ever humble, the TV star stresses he still isn’t certain on how it has all happened. “I don’t think I’ve ever known what I’m doing, if I’m honest with you darling, I just blag it. It’s just about living in the moment.” Pete Wicks: For Dogs’ Sake will air on U and U&W on Tuesday 7 January at 9pm
