Pete Wicks: The Strictly 2024 contestant who rose to fame on Towie

Star is known for his love for dogs and his friendship with ‘Made in Chelsea’ star Sam Thompson

After a turbulent year for the show, Strictly Come Dancing is back with its 20th anniversary season.

The new lineup has featured a mix of contestants from a variety of backgrounds and abilities, including Olympic athletes, reality stars, and TV personalities.

Among them is The Only Way is Essex star Pete Wicks. The 35-year-old is known for his television appearances as well as for his radio and podcast presenting. He’s also the author of two bestselling books.

Partnered with Jowita Przystal, he’s batted off rumours of a romance, denying that the on-screen chemistry the pair share is anything more than professional. Wicks has admitted that working with the dancer is his “favourite bit” of the experience, saying “she makes me happy every day”.

After holding on with his George of the Jungle style performance for movie week, the TV personality and author raised eyebrows and ridicule when his characteristic locks were restyled into a 50s style quiff the following week.

Although his scores have not been excellent, he has been thankful for public votes which have kept him in the competition.

Wicks has become known for having a tough and irreverent exterior, but a true gentleness with his loved ones, including best friend and I’m a Celebrity winner/Made in Chelsea star, Sam Thompson. The friends met on Celebs Go Dating in 2018, and hit it off immediately. Wicks appeared on the ITV show as a special guest, reuniting with Thompson in the jungle, leaving both in tears.

Strictly’s Pete Wicks cozies up to dance partner Jowita Przystal as she admits he looks ‘handsome’. (BBC Two)

The two present the Staying Relevant podcast together, which boasts over 5 million downloads to date and has been number one in the comedy charts numerous times. A live tour for the podcast is due to take place later this year.

As well as having an undying love for his best friend, Wicks is also a huge advocate for animals. Due to present his forthcoming dog-umentary Pete Wicks: For Dog’s Sake, he has also written an entire book about the dogs that have transformed him.

For The Love of Frenchies: The Dogs That Changed My Life follows Wicks as he talks through his love for French Bulldogs. He supports many animal charities including the UK’s leading dog welfare charity, the Dog’s Trust.

Wicks was the seventh contestant to be announced (BBC)

Earlier this year, he called on the government to ban fur imports. He told the PA news agency at the time: “There’s absolutely no reason [to delay], and I don’t understand why it is being stalled. There’s certainly nothing to look at, all the proof is in the pudding, so we just need to get on and get it passed.”

Wicks has a distinctive presenting style, a combination of disarming and affable, and has hosted the BRIT Awards, Pride of Britain Awards and National Television Awards.

He has also made appearances on Celebrity SAS, Celebrity Juice, CelebAbility, Supermarket Sweep, and Celebrity MasterChef. Some may recognise him as the ex-partner of equally fiery Towie star Megan McKenna, with the two having many explosive rows on the show. The pair met in 2016 before breaking up in 2017.

His participation on Strictly was revealed on the Kiss FM Breakfast Show alongside former Love Island contestant Tasha Ghouri. He told Kiss that he felt “a mixture of excited and absolutely petrified, genuinely petrified”.

He told the BBC he felt a mixture of emotions: “Dancing live in front of the nation every Saturday? Absolutely terrifying. But anyone who knows me knows I love a challenge and trying new things, so I’m genuinely looking forward to getting stuck in.”