Kerry Katona reveals Strictly star got her DRUNK before her first date on Celebs Go Dating
KERRY Katona has revealed Pete Wicks got her drunk before her first date on Celebs Go Dating.
Atomic Kitten legend Kerry, 43, looked back at her time on the E4 show as it returns for its latest series.
She divulged how Pete, 36, who’s set to appear on this year’s Strictly, filled her boots with booze ahead of filming in 2019.
Writing in her OK! column, the former singer admitted: “When it comes to the dates, it’s nerve-wracking.
“I remember Pete Wicks got me drunk before my first one to calm my nerves – that was the only time I was boozy though! I’m not one to kiss on camera.
“Anything romantic on TV makes me cringe so I didn’t do any PDA.
“It’s funny because I do OnlyFans, but that’s a subscription site – not national TV!”
It certainly wouldn’t be wise for Pete to pull the same stunt on his co-stars when they take to the dancefloor next month.
JB Gill, Toyah Cox, Shayne Ward, Nick Knowles, Paul Merson and Sam Quek are just some of the celebs signed up for the 20th anniversary series.
And, while Pete was left with broken ribs after being knocked out cold on Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, it isn’t stopping him from chasing his ballroom dreams.
The former The Only Way Is Essex star was medically withdrawn from the Channel 4 challenge show in 2022 after a stunt gone wrong.
Pete had been tasked with jumping out of a helicopter into a lake when he knocked himself out with his backpack, hitting the surface at full speed, and was left face down in the water.
Luckily for Pete, he was quickly reached by the show’s ex-special services staff and its health and safety team — meaning his only injuries were the bone breaks.
But while some ribs heal with time, for Pete his are still not fully fixed.
He revealed it is what he is most worried about as he goes into training for the hit BBC One dance show.
Pete said on his Staying Relevant podcast: “I’m 36, and I haven’t been to a gym in eight years.
“I broke three ribs (in SAS) and my ribs are still broken, which is going to be a pain.”
And while he has not dismissed his chances of lifting the Glitterball trophy, the reality star is well aware it is going to take a lot of work — for his dance partner more than him.
He added: “I feel sorry for whoever my partner is.
“I have an issue with having to get things right, so I know what people say — when they do these things — that you can practice as much as you want . . .
“It’s the worst thing that you can say to someone like me because I will have that poor girl there for 15 hours a day. Literally.
“I’ll be saying, ‘We can just sleep here — you don’t need to go home’ because of the fear of getting something wrong on TV or messing up.”