Pete Wicks breaks silence on Maura Higgins in emotional new interview

Love Island finalist Maura Higgins was a topic of conversation on the We Need to Talk podcast recently when Pete Wicks was a guest amid speculation that the pair are dating

Reality TV star Pete Wicks opened up about Maura Higgins in an emotional interview recently.

Pete, 37, spoke about the former Love Island finalist, 34 - whom he's been rumoured to have been dating - whilst a guest on the podcast We Need to Talk, hosted by Paul C Brunson. It comes following months of speculation about the pair.

Former the Only Way is Essex cast member Pete and Maura were spotted kissing on a few occasions last year and he has since teased that they as "very close". Last month, whilst on I'm A Celebrity, Maura said that she was "single" but she admitted to having been "seeing someone".

Asked to define his relationship with Maura on the podcast, Pete told his former Celebs Go Dating colleague Paul: "Maura and I have known each other for a long time now. Well, I say a long time - about six years. [...] We have the same sense of humour. She's super intelligent, y'know that is something people sometimes don't realise about Maura. She's incredibly witty and we have always been there for each other for the past six years at a distance."

"I mean, it's different now. We spend more time together now than we did before. And I think she's an incredible person. She was very supportive to me when I was in Strictly and vice versa when she was in the jungle. And yeah, she's a great person. So my relationship with her is I think she's a great person and I would hope that she thinks I'm alright."

Asked if they are "great together," he said: "We have never kind of not got on. We do spend more time together now than we have done before [...] We've got a lot of similarities. [...] So she's a great person to spend time with and yeah, we do spend time together."

Elsewhere in the podcast episode, Pete spoke about difficult experiences from earlier in his life. It comes after he wrote in his memoir - in which he discussed his own mental health - about his mother Tracy having attempted to take her own life and being found by him when he was aged 12.

Speaking to Paul in an emotional segment of the podcast, he said: "It was tough." He added: "I felt like I was responsible. I didn't feel like I was enough. I didn't feel like me being there was enough for her to want to be there."

Later discussing mental health, particularly when it comes to men, he said: "There isn't a one-side fits all [solution] because we all think differently. We all feel differently. Mental health can be such a lonely place. Your head can become a prison. But there are so many different things out there - it's about finding the right thing for you."

He went on to say: "The one thing people need to do before they start working on themselves is work out that they do need help and admit that they need help. And I never did that. I said I'd do everything on my own." Teary-eyed, Pete added: "And when I lost my nan I realised I needed help. And I still don't know what that is but I've accepted the fact that I need something because otherwise things are gonna get bad.

"And I think that's the first thing people need to do. The book wasn't about telling people what to do, it was about going 'take a minute and work out do you need help? And if you do, where can you get it'."

If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email jo@samaritans.org or visit their site to find your local branch.

If you are struggling with mental health, you can speak to a trained advisor from Mind mental health charity on 0300 123 3393 or email info@mind.org.uk

Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.