Pete Wicks moved Strictly Come Dancing viewers to tears on Saturday as he paid a loving tribute to his late grandmother, Doreen.
The 36-year-old The Only Way Is Essex star signed up to compete on Strictly in tribute to his nan - who passed away in 2022 and he has previously referred to her as his "best friend" and "soul mate". The reality star was devastated when she passed away and has previously gushed about her love for dance.
Doreen's death led Pete to drop out of filming episodes of TOWIE at the time as the cast and crew jetted off to the Dominican Republic to record sun-soaked instalments. Before appearing on Strictly this year - where he has been paired with professional dancer Jowita Przystał - Pete expressed his hope of making his late relative proud.
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Instagram)He told the Radio Times magazine: "I lost my nan two years ago, and it's the worst thing that's ever happened to me. I didn't get a chance to make her proud before she died. Trying new things is important to me, because hopefully, she's watching, and she'll be proud."
He added: "She grew up with, like, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers and watching all of that sort of stuff. I don't think she ever in a million years would have imagined me doing this and being here. One thing she would have done is – she had the most amazing sense of humour. She definitely would have had a real laugh at it. But she would have been my number one fan."
On Saturday night, Pete and Jowita danced in honour of Doreen with their couple's choice - dancing to the Strictly house band's rendition of the iconic song The Best, first recorded by Bonnie Tyler before being immortalised by Tina Turner. Expressing his love for his grandmother after his performance, Pete gushed: "I would rather go and spend time with my nan than go out with the boys... I feel more pressure this week than any other. This is my way of her being part of that adventure."
He added: "Been a tough week, but the one person I wish was here is my nan and she's not so it's the one way for her being here." His words and performance brought tears to the eyes of many viewers who flooded social media with positive comments, with one writing: "Pete Wicks has just had his breakthrough moment on #Strictly #StrictlyComeDancing. A beautiful dance that really meant something. The emotion was authentic and it really showed how far Pete has come in this competition. I just want to hug him! That was gorgeous!" And another wrote: "Pete trying not to cry."
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In his memoir Never Enough, Pete said his nan's death was "the hardest thing" he's ever had to face. 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'."
When she died, he shared images of her on social media and penned a heartfelt message. He wrote: "Nan, Despite knowing this time would always come it doesn’t make it any easier. It’s taken me days not knowing what to say because no words will ever be able to describe what you meant to me. My heart is broken and I have never felt so lost.
"I have been blessed to have you as my nan but more importantly to have you as my best friend. I hope you knew how much you were loved. Sleep well and be at peace, no one deserves it more. I love you."
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