Reality star Pete Wicks has revealed close friend Zara McDermott “pushed” him to compete on the upcoming series of Strictly Come Dancing.
Former Love Island star McDermott appeared on the hit BBC dancing show in 2023, partnered with professional enteral with Graziano Di Prima.
Earlier this year, allegations were raised about Di Prima’s treatment of McDermott when they competed together on the Strictly last year.
In an Instagram post in July, McDermott said she “wrestled with the fear of opening up” about her time on the show because she feared “public backlash” and “victim shaming”.
She wrote in a statement: “So much of my Strictly experience was everything I could have dreamed of.
"The entire production team and everyone behind the scenes as well as my fellow contestants were so amazing to work with.
“However, my experience inside the training room was very different.
"Reports have been made about my treatment on the show and there were witnesses to some events, as well as videos of particular incidents which are incredibly distressing to watch.”
She added that she had spoken “candidly” to the BBC about her time on the show and thanked the corporation for their “swift action and incredibly high level of support”.
Her statement came after it was confirmed that Di Prima would no longer be part of the 2024 professional line-up.
A statement from Di Prima in July said: “I deeply regret the events that led to my departure from Strictly.
“My intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training regime.”
The BBC has since revealed it will introduce new welfare measures, including a chaperone who will be present “at all times” during rehearsals.
Pete Wicks reveals Zara McDermott "pushed" him to be on Strictly Come Dancing
Speaking on ITV’s Lorraine about how he was feeling about competing on the upcoming series of Strictly, The Only Way Is Essex star Wicks said he was “petrified”.
“I’m like a Ferrari from the waist down and a Volvo from the waist up”, he added.
“The hips are there but the top half doesn’t move.”
Asked if McDermott had offered him any advice, he said: “Zara … was the one that kind of pushed me to do this because she loves the show.
“I’ve been quite honest about it, I’ve never actually seen it.
RECOMMENDED READING:
- Everything to know about Strictly 2024 as new series celebrates 20th anniversary
- BBC Strictly Come Dancing 2024 makes major change after 4 years, reports suggest
- Want to watch Strictly Come Dancing live? 2024 series tickets now available
“The first time I saw Strictly was the first live show last year when Zara was on it and and I just thought, wow, this is amazing.
“But I never imagined myself doing it. Sequins and all that sort of stuff is not necessarily (my style).”
Despite his fears, he said he is “excited” to take on another new project as he noted the focus of his new book, Never Enough: My Words Unfiltered, is about overcoming challenges.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here