Pete Wicks shares emotional message about Maura Higgins - as she opens up about romance on I'm A Celeb
Pete Wicks has paid an emotional tribute to Maura Higgins where he compared them to a jungle duo after his most memorable Strictly Come Dancing routine - as she opened up about what many assumed to be their romance on I'm A Celeb last night. The pair have long been rumoured to be dating without going public, though the Love Islander opened up about her romance with a celebrity on Sunday's show.
Asked if she was single, she said: "I am but I was seeing someone before I came in, but I’m not in a relationship.” When Dean McCullough then asked whether the man in question was someone famous Maura responded simply: "Yeah." She and former Towie star Pete, 36, were first thought to be dating back in August after being spotted kissing at a London hotel.
Speaking on last night's I'm A Celeb, Maura admitted she’d never been in love before. But when Dean asked about her current situation and whether it felt "different" to previous relationships, she explained: “It does, but then is it because we’ve known each other for a long time?” Richard added: “You’d know if he was an a***hole or not, by now.” As Maura smiled to herself, and replied: “Yeah, he’s not an a***hole.”
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At the same time, Pete shared a post about I'm A Celeb star Maura on Instagram, which he signed off with two black love-hearts, where he linked the pair together by referring to his George of the Jungle routine during Movie Week, earlier in the Strictly Come Dancing contest.
He told fans: "I've been George of the Jungle but now it's time to vote for Maura of the Jungle!" He added a link for how to vote for the I'm A Celeb campmate you want to save on the ITV website and added two black love hearts and a laughing face emoji. He added a graphic showing an exchange she shared with Reverend Richard Coles.
In it, Maura asked following a particularly grim trial: "Have I worms inside me?" He replied: "Should I exorcise you, Maura?" She said: "No, I don't need exercise, I'm exhausted."
The sweet Instagram post came as Pete was said to have dampened down what was branded his "romantic liaison" with Strictly dance pro Jowita Przystał in order to go full-steam ahead with Maura.
A source told MailOnline: "Before Maura entered the jungle, Pete wanted to make their relationship exclusive. But Maura, aware of Pete’s reputation and his close bond with Jowita, decided to slow things down. She gave him an ultimatum: either commit to her or let it go. So she went off a single woman."
Maura - who shot to fame on the same series of Love Island as Tommy Fury and Molly-Mae Hague and remained close to the pair, who later split, even after the villa - is now one of the favourites to win her series of I'm A Celeb.
She is expected by bookies to make the final four, alongside Danny Jones, Reverend Richard and Coleen Rooney. Last night, viewers sent Dean packing, after Loose Women's Jane Moore became the first star to leave the show last week.
