Strictly's Pete Wicks dramatically transforms into Freddie Mercury ahead of Icons Week

Pete Wicks is dancing a tribute to Freddie Mercury and Queen on Strictly Come Dancing this week - and was pictured at Elstree Studios looking just like the legendary British singer

Strictly Come Dancing contestant Pete Wicks has been seen in his Freddie Mercury outfit ahead of tonight's live show.

The former The Only Way Is Essex star, 36, was pictured smoking a cigarette while holding his phone. Tonight, Strictly stars will take to the floor for the first-ever Icons Week, a brand new theme that celebrates the stars who have defined musical history.

Pete, who is dancing a Salsa as a tribute to Freddie Mercury and Queen with a medley including Another One Bites the Dust alongside Jowita Przystał, was pictured backstage at Elstree Studios, dressed up and looking just like the legendary singer. In an all-white outfit, made of trousers with a red stripe and a white vest, Pete seemed to be channelling his inner Freddie.

He completed his look styling his hair just like the singer, with his moustache also resembling Freddie's. Taking a break from preparations for this evening's live show, Pete was watching Queen videos on his phone while smoking a cigarette, as a member of production laughed while walking past.

Earlier this week, Pete and Jowita joined Janette Manrara on It Takes Two discuss how training had been over the past few days. Janette asked: "Jowita, do you think that taking on a role like he did last week, and now doing it again this week is going to help Pete with the dance?"

"Urm... I think..." she hesitated before Wicks teased: "She's been with me all week and sounds convinced." Jowita continued: "No, I think. The one thing that Pete has very similar to Freddie is his performance mode and a moustache.

"Genuinely, he goes into performance mode so quickly and I think every time on Saturday night, I feel right now that he is performing but also dancing. Like two weeks I feel like he is not only performing but also dancing, so he combines both of them. So I am not worried about the performance." Then Janette asked Jowita what she is worried about, and Pete stepped in, admitting that he is worried about lifts.

Jowita also described Pete as "such a gentleman" as she praised his "old fashioned soul" when she discussed their "connection". Speaking on It Takes Two on Thursday night, Jowita revealed: "I think Pete is such a gentleman and he puts his arms in a frame and hold me and always likes to be in contact with me. I feel he's such an old school old fashioned soul so he likes that connection when we do ballroom. I think he likes to have control over me so that's why he likes ballroom."

The pair also appeared on This Morning and Pete was quizzed about his "love bubble" with Jowita on the ITV show. But he said: "It's not a love bubble unfortunately, you came in early that was about 30 seconds. We have great chemistry because we’ve become such good friends. She’s one of the most amazing people I’ve ever met, genuinely, not just in the dancing side of things, but outside of that, and I think that helps us with the dancing."

When asked if the rumours bother him, Pete added: "It's always the same. I'm used to it. For ten years that's all anyone has ever really been interested in, is that side of stuff. But we don't really listen to all of that." In photos shared with The Sun earlier this week, Pete could be seen smiling while hugging Maura Higgins at east London hotspot Gloria.

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