Strictly Come Dancing's Pete Wicks has opened up about being single and in a "different stage" of his life.
The reality star, who was the latest celebrity to be eliminated from Strictly's 2024 series, has been subject to dating rumours with I'm a Celebrity's Maura Higgins ever since they were spotted sharing a kiss in London earlier this year.
However, Maura explained in the jungle that while she was seeing someone before flying out to do the show, she was "not in a relationship".
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Opening up about his dating life on the latest episode of his Staying Relevant podcast, Pete told his guest Olivia Attwood: "I do feel like I'm now at a different stage of my life. I'm an older man now than when I was younger and a complete prick."
"Pete's never had any problem getting the women," Olivia chimed in, before Pete said: "It's keeping them!"
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"You don't keep them out of your own choice. I feel like it's because you, for so long, have not let anyone in," Olivia continued. "You like your own space, you like to be with your dogs at home and your beer, it's quite a sad scene really actually."
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"It is a little bit of a sad existence," Pete jokingly admitted.
Olivia went on to tell Pete that he needs to "let someone in but it needs to be the right person", to which he said: "I don't want to die alone!"
While Maura has said she's not in a relationship and previously clarified that she and Pete are just friends, the pair have shared their support for each other during their recent reality TV stints.
Pete urged I'm a Celeb viewers to vote to save Maura, while Maura recently said after leaving the jungle: "Honestly, he's been so supportive… I didn't know if he was still in Strictly, I'm so proud of him and he's proud of me and I can't wait to see him when I get back."
Strictly Come Dancing airs on Saturdays on BBC One, while spin-off Strictly: It Takes Two airs on weeknights on BBC Two. Both shows are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
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Social Executive, Entertainment Portfolio After completing her joint honours degree in Journalism and English Literature at Cardiff University, Iona joined Digital Spy as a Content Production Intern in 2022, where she wrote across both news and features, specialising in TV and movies. Following her internship, Iona continued contributing to the site as a freelance reporter, becoming social executive for the Hearst UK entertainment portfolio in summer 2025. Iona now leads the DS social channels, covering red carpets with stars such as Paul Mescal, Austin Butler, and more.
