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Pete Wicks has insisted that Zara McDermott “loves Strictly” and will be his “number one fan” when she competes.
The TOWIE star, 36, signed up for the show just days after it emerged her friend Zara, 27, was physically and verbally abused by her professional dancing partner Graziano Di Prima while on last year’s series.
However, Pete insisted that hadn’t stopped Zara from supporting him, telling MailOnline: “Zara loves the show and has been very supportive so she’ll probably be my number one fan.”
When it was suggested that Zara could teach him some moves, he joked: “It’s my partner who’s going to teach me everything, so I’m excited to get started.”
Pete had previously spoken openly about how Zara had been the driving force behind his decision to sign up.
Pete Wicks has insisted that Zara McDermott “loves Strictly” and will be his “number one fan” when she competes
Graziano Di Prima was fired over reports that he verbally and physically abused Zara during rehearsals
During an appearance on ITV’s Lorraine on Monday, he admitted: “Zara was the one who pushed me to do this because she loves the show. I was quite honest about the fact that I’d never actually watched it.
“I first saw Strictly on the first live show last year when Zara was on and I thought, ‘Wow, this is amazing’ but I never really imagined myself doing it. Sequins and all that stuff aren’t necessarily my style.”
He added: “I’m petrified. I’m like a Ferrari from the waist down and a Volvo from above. I have the hips but nothing else.”
Pete’s appearance on Strictly came as a surprise to some viewers, given his friendship with Zara and her boyfriend Sam Thompson, following his negative experience.
However, breaking her silence on Instagram last month, the documentary maker expressed her support for Pete saying he “made her very happy.”
Zara reposted the official announcement and 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.’
Pete’s appearance on Strictly came as a surprise to some viewers, given his friendship with Zara and her boyfriend Sam Thompson (2R) following their negative experience.
This comes in the wake of shocking reports that Zara performed on the show with a “broken” leg following an injury in training and needed painkillers to get through the 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.
There were claims 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.
Reality stars Sam and Pete became friends after appearing on E4’s Celebs Go Dating in 2019 and have since hosted the podcast Staying Relevant together.
In addition to their podcast, the pair’s working relationship sees them pranking each other in viral social media videos based on Sam’s enthusiasm and eagerness to please juxtaposed against Pete’s grumpiness.
Zara often appears in the clips, in which the trio have performed fun dance routines for their huge following.
The dance competition has been hit by a wave of scandals in recent months, with Giovanni Pernice coming under investigation after his partner Amanda Abbington accused him of abusive behaviour.
The sun revealed that Zara needed painkillers to endure ten-hour training sessions after breaking a bone in her leg on Strictly.
A source told the publication that the TV star danced during the show’s Halloween week with a broken leg and that it was “literally a horror in every sense of the word.”
An X-ray revealed severe ligament damage as well as a stress fracture in his left tibia.
Show bosses only learned the full extent of the injury two weeks ago when Zara spoke to private investigators amid the investigation into Graziano’s behaviour.
It is not the only scandal that has affected the program, with Giovanni Pernice being investigated after his famous partner Amanda Abbington accused him of abusive behavior,
The scandal unfolded in January when it was revealed that Amanda had asked BBC bosses for footage of rehearsals after claiming she was suffering from PTSD as a result of appearing on Strictly.
He later claimed that Giovanni had injured his foot during training.
Giovanni vehemently denies the accusations.
The Strictly Come Dancing 2024 launch show will air on Saturday 14 September at 7.20pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
STRICTLY 2024 LINEUP
Chris McCausland
Age: 46
Profession: Comedian
Chris says: “If anyone is thinking, ‘How the hell is he going to do that?’ rest assured, I’m thinking exactly the same thing.”
Dr. Punam Krishan
Age: unknown
Profession: Family doctor and announcer
Punam says: ‘I’ve watched Strictly every year and it feels even more special that it’s the 20th year, I can’t believe it’s me who’s going to be on Strictly.’
Willcox Toy Store
Age: 66
Profession: Singer, actor, presenter
Toyah says: “I’m so excited and I love this show. Being a part of it, the spray tan and the glow. It’s a landmark year for me. I came in as a retiree, went to Glasto and now I’m spray tanning.”
Pete Wicks
Age: 36
Profession: Reality star
Pete says: “Dancing live in front of the whole country every Saturday? Absolutely terrifying.”
Shayne Neighborhood
Age: 39
Profession: Actor and singer
Shayne says: ‘I’m no stranger to live television, but dancing Latin and ballroom in front of millions of people is a whole new level.’
Tom Dean
Age: 24
Profession: Olympic medal-winning swimmer
Tom says: “I can now officially talk about how excited I am to embark on something new, meet brilliant people and start dancing.”
Nick Knowles
Age: 61
Profession: TV presenter
Nick says, ‘I’m going for it. I’m going to give it 100 percent!’
JB Gill
Age: 37
Profession: Singer
JB says: “A lot of ballroom dance styles are very foreign to me. I didn’t do those dances as a kid. I’m not a professional dancer.”
Wynne Evans
Age: 52
Profession: Opera singer, presenter
Wynne says: ‘The things that make me nervous are the ones that involve jumping, I don’t really want to do the jive, I get nervous about that.
Tasha Ghouri
Age: 25
Profession: Model and reality star
Tasha says: ‘I’ve been watching the show since I was little, it’s a Ghouri family favourite so this is totally a dream come true.’
Sarah Hadland
Age: 53
Profession: Actress
Sarah says: ‘I’m particularly excited to be part of such an iconic show in its 20th year.’
Jamie Borthwick
Age: 30
Profession: EastEnders star
Jamie says: ‘I had a blast making the Christmas special, so when I was asked to take part, the easiest answer was ‘yes!’
Sam Quek
Age: 35
Profession: Former Great Britain hockey player and presenter
Sam says: “I’m so relieved that it’s out now. I’ve found it hard to keep a secret! Rumours were spreading and I had to lie. I’m used to dancing on a girls’ night out but I’m going to give it my all.”
Pablo Merson
Age: 56
Profession: Former footballer
Paul says: ‘I won’t worry until it starts, but when it does start I’ll be nervous. I’ve only danced three times in my life!’