Pete Wicks has admitted he took a bit of convincing to sign up for the new series of Strictly Come Dancing.
The former TOWIE star, 35, confessed he was not a fan of the show and was begged by his manager and close friend Sam Thompson to sign up for the BBC One show.
Sam’s girlfriend Zara McDermott appeared on the BBC series last year before reports emerged that she had been “punched and kicked” during rehearsals by now-sacked professional Graziano Di Prima.
Pete told Sam on his Staying Relevant podcast about his own involvement in the show: “I think it’s the last thing anyone would think I would do. I’ve never thought about doing it. I’ve never watched Strictly.”
He continued: ‘It’s like a test day where I had to see how I would do for an hour with one of the professionals.
Pete Wicks has admitted that he had a hard time convincing himself to sign up for the new series of Strictly Come Dancing
“And I’ll be honest with you, I went because I was semi-forced by my managers and Sam and every other Strictly-obsessed person.”
“I did the tasting and I loved it. I really loved it.”
While he now enjoys training, he added that he regrets having given the locker room department free rein.
“You also see the costume team and they discuss what you like to wear, what you feel comfortable in and how far you’d like to go,” Pete explained.
“I spoke to my agents beforehand and they were like, ‘Whatever I do, whatever.’ The locker room lady was like, ‘Let’s have some fun.’ I instantly regretted saying that.”
Pete seems to be nervous about what people will think of him as he steps out onto the dance floor in front of millions of viewers.
And he concluded: “A lot of people are going to see me, but they are people who don’t know. They are going to hate me.”
Zara McDermott has given her verdict on her close friend Pete’s new look ahead of his Strictly debut.
The former TOWIE star, 35, confessed he was not a fan of the show and was begged by his manager and close friend Sam Thompson to sign up for the BBC One show.
The former Love Island star, 27, appeared on the BBC series last year before reports emerged that she had been “punched and kicked” during rehearsals by now-sacked professional Graziano Di Prima.
In a fun clip shared on the show’s official Instagram page, Pete, 36, donned a plunging floral suit and sparkly trousers.
The caption read: “The countdown to Strictly has begun! Just 15 days to go until Pete gets his tan on Tango!”
Zara, who is in a relationship with Pete’s friend Sam Thompson, commented: “Sequins really suit you.”
Zara has given her verdict on her close friend Pete’s new look ahead of his Strictly Come Dancing debut
The Love Island star, who is in a relationship with Pete’s friend Sam Thompson, commented: “Sequins really suit you.”
Earlier this month, Zara broke her silence after it was confirmed that Pete had signed up for the show’s final season.
His appearance surprise to some viewers, given his friendship with Zara, and her boyfriend Sam, after his negative experience.
However, sharing the news on Instagram, the documentary maker expressed her support for Pete and said that “he made her very happy.”
Reposting the official announcement, Zara wrote: “I’ve never been so excited. I love you.”
In a comment, she added: “This makes me so happy. You’re going to have a blast. I’m so proud of you. I can’t wait to see you with some sparkle and maybe even some shorts.”
Sam also shared: ‘I’m speechless. I’m so proud of you… the content we’re going to create that you don’t even know about yet.’
Despite their close friendship, she landed a place on the Strictly line-up amid shocking reports that Zara performed on the show with a “broken” leg following an injury in training and needed painkillers to get through ten-hour rehearsals.
The latest revelation comes after professional dancer Graziano, 30, admitted to kicking Zara during their sessions, leading to him being axed from the BBC series.
The former Love Island star, 27, appeared on the BBC series last year before reports emerged that she was “punched and kicked” during rehearsals by now-sacked professional Graziano Di Prima (L-R) Graziano, Zara’s boyfriend Sam Thompson, Zara and Pete pictured during last year’s series
In a fun clip shared on the show’s official Instagram page, Pete, 36, donned a low-cut floral suit and sparkly trousers.
It is then claimed that his abusive behaviour was caught on video, in clips which Zara claimed were “incredibly distressing to watch”.
A source told MailOnline: ‘Zara is very happy that Pete has landed the job on Strictly.
“Her experience on the show was very individual – she hopes no one else will go through the same thing again.”
They added: ‘She knows Pete will have a great time and might even impress the judges – he’s incredibly hard-working and a good person, and will thrive in the environment, which can be intense, but he performs best when challenged and under pressure.
‘Zara doesn’t want anything that happened to her to tarnish her career on Strictly and is supporting Pete even if it hits close to home.’
Pete joined Sam in the Strictly studio audience last year and together they wore printed shirts emblazoned with Zara’s face to show their support.
They posed for photographs alongside Zara and Graziano, who has since fled to his native Sicily following his sacking from Strictly.
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