'Acceptance is the most important thing to Sam'

Pete Wicks is throwing his support behind best pal and I'm A Celeb star Sam Thompson

- ZARA ZUBEIDI

When we chat to Pete Wicks, he’s just 24 hours away from leaving London for Australia in support of Sam Thompson on I’m A Celeb.

The former TOWIE star, 35, will be there to greet Sam, 31, should he be voted out of the Jungle – or as he affectionately puts it, “slap him when he comes across the bridge”.

Until then, Pete is looking forward to some downtime after a busy year. As well as filming two prime-time shows, which will air in 2024, his and Sam’s hit podcast, Staying Relevant, recently celebrated reaching 100,000 followers.

He’s also been cheering on his best mate – who he met on Celebs Go Dating back in 2018 – alongside Sam’s girlfriend Zara McDermott as they watch the former Made In Chelsea favourite get stuck into camp life.

Here, Pete reveals how proud he is of his “brother” and why it’s so important for Sam to feel accepted, before hitting back at rumours there’s been something going on between him and Zara while his pal is away…

Hi, Pete! You told Sam to “keep his cool” in front of Ant and Dec – has he succeeded?

Absolutely not. I think they’re genuinely petrified of him. I imagine the restraining order will come as soon as he comes out, because he’s a stalker. It wouldn’t surprise me if he’s hiding in the bushes outside their houses for the next few months. He hasn’t played it cool at all – but Sam doesn’t play it cool with anyone. 

Maybe he thinks you two are going to be the next Ant and Dec?