Pete Wicks joins the line-up for ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ 2024
The reality stars, who rose to fame on The Only Way Is Essex and Love Island, join Go Compare singer Wynne Evans, singer and actress Toyah Willcox, TV doctor Punam Krishan, comedian Chris McCausland and JLS star JB Gill on the Strictly Come Dancing 2024 line-up so far.
Wicks is best known for his television appearances and presenting including from the red carpet at the BRIT Awards, Pride of Britain Awards and National Television Awards.
Pete Wicks first appeared on our screens on the BAFTA award-winning ITV show ‘TOWIE’ in 2015. Alongside this Pete Wicks co-hosts the award nominated podcast ‘Staying Relevant’ which has had over 5million downloads to date and has been number one in the comedy charts numerous times.
🪩 The only way is #Strictly! Pete Wicks is the seventh celebrity contestant confirmed for 2024.
— BBC Press Office (@bbcpress) August 7, 2024
"Dancing live in front of the nation every Saturday? Absolutely terrifying" But he can't wait to get stuck in.
Read more ➡️ https://t.co/K88zfr6ZK5 pic.twitter.com/YcFrHDCENI
Wicks is also an animal rights advocate and supports many charities.
Wicks says: “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.”
Wicks, who rose to fame on The Only Way Is Essex, was congratulated by his friend and 2023 Strictly contestant Zara McDermott – one of the celebrities who has made allegations about her time on the show.
Who is Pete Wicks
The 35-year-old began his career in reality TV on ITVBe series The Only Way Is Essex in 2015 before moving on to other shows.
He has since appeared on Channel 4’s Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, where he withdrew early on medically withdrawn, E4’s Celebs Go Dating, BBC’s Celebrity MasterChef and ITV’s The Real Full Monty.
Wicks also was among the celebrities trying to help one contestant succeed in recent Channel 4 series The Underdog: Josh Must Win, and hosts a podcast called Staying Relevant with I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! winner Sam Thompson.
Zara McDermott was among the first to respond to the news that her friend Pete Wicks will be taking part in this year’s Strictly Come Dancing.
The reality star and podcast host made visits to the ballroom last year when Zara competed in the 2023 series.
But this year, the roles will be reversed as it’ll be Pete putting on his dancing shoes. The former The Only Way is Essex (TOWIE) star was the seventh contestant to be confirmed for the BBC One dance contest, and he was unveiled just minutes after Tasha Ghouri was confirmed for the upcoming series.
He was also announced on ‘KISS Breakfast with Jordan and Perri’, and joked his best friend Sam Thompson “screamed and cried” when he found out the news. He admitted the prospect of strutting his stuff on the ballroom floor is “absolutely terrifying”, but he’s excited to give it a go.