BBC Strictly Come Dancing's Pete Wicks incredible act for family member before their death

Strictly Come Dancing’s Pete Wicks helped out a beloved member of his family before they died with a selfless act thanks to his hard graft in the city during a rather surprising career

Before his time on reality show TOWIE, Strictly star Pete Wicks was a successful director in the city which he says "no one believes" but it meant he could change the life of a very close relative in their final years.

All talk around reality TV star Pete Wicks is currently focused on the rumours that he has fallen head over heels in love with his professional dance partner Jowita Przystał on the BBC ’s Strictly Come Dancing. Their chemistry in the ballroom and behind the scenes has been impossible to ignore and fans of the talent show have been lapping it up.

The 36-year-old from Essex has a reputation as something of a ladies’ man and bad boy after starring in reality show TOWIE and while he’s never been short of admirers, his relationships never quite seem to go the distance. That could have something to do with his no nonsense approach to dating in which he abruptly ends a relationship if it isn’t working.

Prior to Strictly Pete described himself as "a single dog dad" to his two rescue dogs, Eric and Peggy but the other love in his life was his cherished Nan and "best friend" Doreen. Sadly she died in 2022, leaving Pete utterly heartbroken. He opened up about her health struggles over a seven year period before her death in his new book Never Enough. "The day she died, I had been in London seeing friends. Mum called me and told me I needed to get to the hospital quickly," he wrote. "Mum and I sat either side of her, holding each hand. I can remember the last words she said to me as if it were yesterday: 'You're my soulmate'."

Doreen, who Pete described as like the nan from Catherine Tate who never held back on calling him "a w***er" if he deserved it, had helped raise him in Harlow after his parents separated and she was a huge support when his mother was struggling with her mental health during his childhood. Pete did her proud though when he repaid her love and dedication by buying her a house thanks to his hard work - pre TOWIE.

Although he admits he wasn't academic at school and often bunked off, he had ambition and managed to secure himself well-paid jobs due to having "the gift of the gab". He worked on a building site for a while before taking the first year of an AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians) course to try and be an accountant because he was "quite good with numbers". He ditched that idea after finding it "boring" and was introduced to an associate's dad who worked in the city and had a recruitment firm.

He started there as a teaboy when he was around 17 and by the time he was 22 he was sales director for a recruitment company supplying consultant doctors to the NHS. He was enjoying a lavish lifestyle in London when he finally agreed to appear on an episode who "had been knocking for a while" and because his pal James Lock, aka Lockie featured in it. He was such a hit that he ended up becoming one of its biggest stars but it also meant that a move back to Essex was made easier and he ended up living within a stone’s throw of both his beloved nan and mum.

Speaking about what Doreen would have thought about Pete taking part in Strictly, he said she would have "loved it”. According to Mailonline he revealed on the High Performance Podcast, that he is hoping to dedicate a dance to her: "Hopefully there’s one song that we might be doing which is very, very special to me at some point, if I’m in long enough, which is going to be a bit of a tribute to her," he said.

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