Pete Wicks gives honest verdict on Strictly Come Dancing after BBC show hit with scandal

Strictly: Pete Wicks says he was trying too hard at the beginning

Pete Wicks has had his say about his Strictly Come Dancing stint, confessing that he received some "horrendeous" messages which left him "heart-broken."

The former TOWIE star made it all the way to the semi-finals with pro partner Jowita Przystal before he was eliminated. However, this did not rub well with some Strictly fans who were unimpressed that he made it so far into the competition.

Speaking exclusively with The Times, he said: “Some of the messages I got were beautiful, but the horrendous things were heartbreaking."

He added: “I’ve learnt you shouldn’t take too much interest in the good stuff or listen to the bad stuff, but normally I’m in control of the narrative. This was me at my most vulnerable I’ve been on television, so the negative stuff was harder to take.”

Despite the negative backlash, he said that it was "one of the best thing he's ever done", but insisted that the BBC dance competition didn't change his life.

Pete Wicks made it all the way to the semi-finals of Strictly (Image: Getty)

He admitted: “Nah. It didn’t change me. I’m the same person now I was when I went into it. But it allowed people to see this other side of me.”

The TV star previously admitted that taking part in Strictly was one of the most nervous experiences of his life because it is "so far out of my comfort zone".

Pete said: "I don’t get nervous, but I’m petrified of this. This is the most nervous I’ve ever been about doing anything. Genuinely. This is so far out of my comfort zone."

Pete Wicks with his professional partner Jowita (Image: Getty)

However, he revealed that he was grateful to Jowita for helping him to cope with the demands of the dancefloor.

He said: "She’s incredibly patient and always positive. She’s always keeping me on track."

Jowita revealed that she was proud of what Pete has been able to achieve in the competition.

The 30-year-old dancer said: "He never gives up, even when it's tough Pete’s a hard worker, but he’s also really funny. We have a lot of laughs! Pete’s taught me to go with the flow and not take things too seriously."

Prior to Pete joining the scandal-hit show, two professional dancers had been removed from the 2024 line-up after reports of verbal and abusive behaviour backstage.

Italian dancers Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima were both swiftly dropped from Strictly last summer. Pernice denied any suggestions of threatening or abusive behaviour during rehearsals.

Meanwhile, Di Prima's spokesman confirmed that Graziano kicked his partner Zara McDermott once during rehearsals in 2023.