Pete Wicks' friendship with Zara McDermott as TOWIE star joins Strictly

The TOWIE star has signed up for Strictly, in spite of his close friend's 'distressing' experience on the show.

Pete Wicks, Zara McDermott and Sam Thompson attend the BRIT Awards 2024 at The O2 Arena on March 02, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage)
Pete Wicks is a close friend of Zara McDermott. (Getty Images)

Pete Wicks is getting ready to take part in Strictly Come Dancing 2024.

The TOWIE star is a close friend of Zara McDermott, who competed on Strictly in 2023 and has become the centre of the Strictly scandal. But the Love Island star and documentary maker's experience doesn't seem to have put Wicks off.

Here is how Wicks and McDermott formed their bond of friendship.

 Pete Wicks attends the 2024 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises at The Royal Festival Hall on May 12, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Shane Anthony Sinclair/BAFTA/Getty Images for BAFTA)
Pete Wicks found fame on TOWIE and has taken part in several reality shows. (Getty Images for BAFTA)

Wicks, 35, rose to fame on The Only Way Is Essex and has since appeared on a string of reality show including Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, Celebs Go Dating, Celebrity MasterChef, The Celebrity Circle and Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls.

McDermott, 27, entered the spotlight as a contestant on Love Island and has since moved into TV presenting and documentary making. Over the years their paths will have crossed and TV awards ceremonies and industry events.

Sam Thompson, Zara McDermott and Pete Wicks attend her showcase of her new Everyday Essentials clothing brand venture RISE on April 17, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images for Poeticgem Group)
Sam Thompson introduced girlfriend Zara McDermott to best pal Pete Wicks. (Getty Images for Poeticgem Group)

McDermott has been dating Made in Chelsea star Sam Thompson since 2019. Thompson and Wicks have been best friends for years. So when McDermott entered Thompson's life it was inevitable that he would introduce them and they would become friends.

The trio are often seen hanging out together at showbiz parties and making TikTok, proving that three is not always a crowd.

McDermott now calls Wicks her own best friend and she and Thompson spend so much time with him they have joked they are like a throuple and McDermott has said she even wants Wicks to move in with them.

McDermott told the Spooning with Mark Wogan podcast: "I say we are a throuple without the intimacy. That's what I think we are.... Sam wants him to move in with us. But [Pete] says no. I would love for Pete to move in with us. We've been trying to convince Pete. We do have a lovely spare room that we did set up like mostly with him in mind, but he's never stayed in the bed. It's very sad.

"The three of us have a very odd relationship, but it's very amazing. He's literally my brother, my best friend. He’s Sam's brother and his best friend. Me and Sam are together, so, I love them both very much in different ways."

And Thompson told This Morning: "We're like a throuple really," said Thompson. "Not in an intimate way. We just love each other so much. We enjoy working together."

Pete Wicks, Sam Thompson and Zara McDermott attends the BRIT Awards 2024 at The O2 Arena on March 02, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Jim Dyson/Redferns)
Pete Wicks and Zara McDermott have laughed off speculation they are anything more than friends. (Getty Images)

With McDemott and Wicks becoming such good friends, fans even began to speculate that there may be something more between them. But they both laughed off the rumours.

Wicks told New magazine: "I love Zara - she's a sweetheart. Me and Zara find it quite funny. That's the problem with social media everyone's got an opinion. Sam is my brother, and Zara is a very good friend of mine. We just laugh about it."

(Left to right) Series winner Sam Thompson, Pete Wicks and Zara McDermott at Heathrow Airport, London, after taking part in the ITV series I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! in Australia. Picture date: Wednesday December 13, 2023. (Photo by Jonathan Brady/PA Images via Getty Images)
Pete Wicks and Zara McDermott greet each other at the airport as Sam Thompson returns from Australia. (Getty Images)

McDermott has become the centre of the Strictly scandal after pro partner Graziano Di Prima quit the show having admitted he kicked McDermott during training. McDermott has said of her time on the show "So much of my Strictly experience was everything I could have dreamt of... however my experience inside the training room was very different." And she called certain videos of her and Di Prima in the rehearsal room "distressing to watch."

Wicks was often present in the Strictly audience to support McDermott during her time on the show. He will have some idea of how the live shows work and the pressure the contestants are under. And he is ready to give it a go.

McDermott shared a message of support to Wicks on Instagram after he joined the cast. She wrote: "I've never been so excited. Love you."

She added: "This makes me so happy. You're going to have the best time. I am so proud of you. I cannot wait to see you in some sparkles and maybe even some hot pants."


Strictly Come Dancing 2024 starts on Saturday 14 September on BBC One and iPlayer.