Strictly Come Dancing's Pete Wicks fires back at critics who want him off BBC show

Pete Wicks has delivered a very 'honest' yet defiant response to calls for him to be kicked off Strictly Come Dancing, telling his critics he's 'well aware' he's not the best dancer, as he continues to defy odds and stay in the competition.

Having gone into the BBC show as a complete non-dancer, ex TOWIE star Pete has surprised a lot of people with his Strictly performances alongside pro partner Jowita Przystal, with some fans labelling him as the 'dark horse' of the new series after just a few weeks. Having never once landed in the bottom two, things got even better for Pete during the November 9 episode, when he and Jowita got their highest score yet of 36 out of 40, after dancing a moving Couple's Couple routine in honour of Pete's late nan, one of his biggest supporters.

Shirley Ballas was moved to tears by the number, as were many viewers at home, but, sadly for Pete and Jowita, their scores took a significant turn for the worse in Blackpool, dropping to 27, as their cha cha to Right Said Fred failed to wow the judges in the Tower Ballroom. Given that they ended the night four points adrift at the bottom of the leaderboard, many people assumed Pete would at least be in the dance-off, but to his shock as much as anyone's, that wasn't the case as he made it through to another week.

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Just a few days ago, bookies said Pete was 'guaranteed' to leave Strictly this coming weekend, putting him well ahead of his rivals in the updated elimination odds and after critics hit out at him still being in the show. However, it appears that Pete is taking all of the backlash on the chin and is determined to keep doing his best, as he took to Instagram write: "Humbled. Overwhelmed. Grateful. I’m well aware I’m not a good dancer, but I am trying. Every week @jowitaprzystal and I just want to make the most of what we can. We take it day by day, week by week. I know VERY little about dancing but what I have learnt is that it’s about letting go and throwing yourself at it no matter what level of skill/talent you may or may not have. I know I make mistakes, I know I don’t have rhythm and I’m wooden but I won’t stop trying."

He added: " I’ve tried my best from day 1 and I’ll continue to try my best for as long as I’m allowed to be part of the show. Your support has been mind blowing and each week you continue to show @jowitaprzystal and I love and we couldn’t be any more grateful. It’s down to you that we have managed to make it to week 10. "