Strictly’s Pete Wicks backs Maura Higgins on I’m A Celeb with emotional plea to fans ahead of first eviction
PETE Wicks has issued a rallying cry to I’m A Celeb viewers to back Maura Higgins and vote for her to win the show.
Pete, who is currently competing in Strictly Come Dancing on BBC 1, shared a mocked-up image from Maura’s Instagram page, and told fans the 34-year-old is his pick to come first on the ITV 1 show.
I’m A Celeb’s first eviction is due to take place tonight. (Friday November 29).
Pete reposted the mocked-up shot of Maura, where she’s in a 1940s wartime-style outfit, with her hair tied back by a scarf, wearing a blue jumpsuit, and flexing her right bicep.
Pete captioned the pic: “She can do it! But she needs your help! Vote to keep our Maura in the jungle.”
The 36-year-old tagged his own message to the bottom, which reads: “There she is! My winner…Vote Maura @maurahiggins.”
Maura’s social media accounts are being taken care of by her manager while she’s in Australia, as she won’t have access to any mod cons during her time on the programme.
But it’s not the first time Pete’s commented on one of her social media posts.
After she managed to wolf down a load of vile concoctions in a buffet-themed challenge, Pete responded online with: “WHAT A WOMAN.”
The pair had been thought to be dating after being spotted kissing on one occasion, and then attending an event at the London Palladium together, just days before she jetted off to Australia.
But after arriving in the jungle, former Love Island star Maura stressed that although she wasn’t necessarily living the life of a nun, she didn’t currently have a significant other either.
She said: “I date, but I am very much single.”
However, while competing on the BBC’s flagship Saturday night show, The Only Way is Essex star Pete, is also said to have grown increasingly close to 30-year-old dancer Jowita.
Strictly sources previously told The Sun that things have really started hotting up between Pete and Jowita, and not just on the dance floor.
An insider said: “The chemistry between them has been pretty clear since the moment they met.
“But the last few weeks something has changed and they’ve started seeing each other away from the show.
“They’ve tried to keep it low-key but they often travel together rather than getting separate cars to different locations.”
Jowita split up with her long-term partner, fellow dancer Michael Danilczuk in 2022, the same year she won the Glitterball trophy with wildlife cameraman Hamza Yassin.