The Only Way Is Essex star Pete Wicks has reportedly joined the new series of Strictly Come Dancing.
The 36-year-old reality star and podcast host signed up for the show shortly after it was revealed that his close friend Zara McDermott was abused by her dance partner Graziano Di Prima last year.
Pete’s signing may come as a surprise to some viewers, given his friendship with Zara, and her boyfriend Sam Thompson.
A source told The Sun: ‘Pete has joined the Strictly line up and is excited to get started.
“He isn’t a great dancer, but that’s what the BBC liked. They wanted the show to feel more like it did in the beginning. Pete will also attract younger viewers who followed him on Towie.”
A representative for the BBC told MailOnline that the lineup for Strictly Come Dancing will be announced ‘in due course.’ MailOnline has contacted a representative for Pete Wicks for comment.
Previously Pete has appeared on Celebs Go Dating, Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins and The Real Full Monty, and last year he was seen watching in the audience when Zara competed on Strictly with Graziano.
It comes following reports on Sunday, that Graziano was accused of ‘chasing’ after Zara while ‘screaming abuse,’ leaving her so frightened that she ‘locked herself in a toilet.’
He has apologised for kicking his former partner, but added other allegations do not align with ‘how he remembers it.’
According to the reports, shock details have now been revealed which allege he ‘called her nasty names, asked if she had gained weight and was forceful’ leaving her ‘visibly demoralised’ and ‘in tears.’
Zara herself previously claimed in a statement there had been ‘particular incidents inside the training room which were incredibly distressing.’
She did not report the incidents at the time as she was ‘scared’ of backlash, instead it was junior production staff who came forward.
The insider added that Graziano would apologise each time and ‘promise to not do it again.’
On Thursday, Mark Borkowski, a spokesperson for Graziano, told BBC News: ‘There is never a time when kicking, or any sense of that is right. And he knows that. He knows he’s made a mistake. He apologised at the time.’
Referring to the media reports, Mark added: ‘But he doesn’t recognise some of the issues surrounding it. The descriptions of what is being commented online, and how he remembers it, are not aligned.’
It comes after Nick Knowles reportedly joined the lineup for the new series of Strictly, as the show continues to battle a growing number of abuse and misconduct claims.
The DIY SOS star, 61, signed up after months of talks with show bosses, with sources claiming he’s ‘willing to give anything a crack.’
Nick previously showed off his dance skills while attending a rugby match with pal Ben Shephard, in an Instagram post in March, leading one fan to ask whether a Strictly stint was on the horizon.
A source told The Sun: ‘Nick has always loved Strictly and he is so excited.
‘He’s got a great personality, is incredibly driven and competitive and is up for giving anything a crack.
‘He’s going on the show to entertain and to win. He’ll give it his best shot.’
MailOnline has contacted representatives for the BBC and Nick Knowles for comment.
Nick previously joined forces with Strictly professionals including Katya Jones and Luba Mushtuk, for a special episode of DIY SOS, where they transformed a performing arts school in North Tyneside.
The presenter, who announced his engagement to girlfriend Katie Dadzie last year, previously offered his thoughts on Strictly when fans discussed how CBBC star Molly Rainford was in the bottom two, while footballer Tony Adams avoided elimination.
He wrote on Instagram: ‘@bbcstrictly is an entertainment show not strictly a dancing competition — otherwise those that went to drama college & learned dance would have an unfair advantage.
‘It’s the one who connects with the audience that wins.
It’s been previously reported that other names set to take part in the new series will include EastEnders star Jamie Borthwick and social media star Grace Keeling, known as GK Barry.
It comes as Strictly was plunged into further crisis after Amanda Abbington claimed that sacked dancer Giovanni Pernice was trying to block the release of up to 50 hours of ‘toxic’ footage’.
During a new interview, the actress compared the dance show to ‘the trenches’ telling Channel 4 News that BBC producers had been left ‘horrified’ by clips that also allegedly exhibited ‘humiliating behaviour of a sexual nature’.
Amanda claims Giovanni has tried to stop her legal team from accessing the video ‘evidence’ after producers were forced to put cameras in the dance studio after Amanda raised concerns.
A string of professional dancers on the show have been accused of abusive behaviour by former celebrity contestants, with professional Graziano Di Prima sacked by bosses over alleged footage of his treatment of Zara McDermott.
‘There’s 50 hours of footage that’s being blocked. You know, 50 hours is a lot of footage, and a lot of time spent in a room that was toxic,’ she told presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy.
‘It’s out there. There is evidence out there of what happened in that room and I’m not the one who’s blocking it. I’ve said anyone can watch it, but he (Giovanni) doesn’t want anyone to see it, which is quite telling if he’s got nothing to hide.’
The actress said that cameras were installed into her and Giovanni’s rehearsal studio after she raised concerns after the first week of practice with producers wanting to review the footage each week to assess what was ‘going on’ between the pair.
Giovanni had claimed he had asked for the cameras, which Amanda says is untrue.
‘So in the first week, I raised my concerns to the producers,’ the actress explained, as she fought back tears.
‘Giovanni said that he asked for the cameras, he didn’t ask for the cameras, I know that he didn’t ask for the cameras, because the producers came to me and said, ‘we’re going to put in cameras so we can view the footage at the end of the week and make an assessment and see what’s going on’.
‘And then every Friday, after the next sort of five weeks, I would get the producer saying, on the Friday, ‘we just watched the footage back, we are shocked and horrified, we’re so sorry’.
‘That was to my face on the Friday when we would go in and do the camera rehearsal.’
Throughout the interview, Guru-Murthy, who also starred on the 2023 series, asked whether it was correct that Amanda had experienced ‘humiliating behaviour of a sexual nature’, with the actress holding back tears as she nodded in agreement.
‘Yeah. I mean, you know, one of the many things,’ she said, clarifying it was not harassment.
Ever since the claims first emerged Giovanni has denied all of the allegations, claiming to have provided a dossier of evidence to the Beeb investigators and ‘remains fully confident in clearing his name’.
Disputing Amanda’s claims once again following the interview, a spokesperson for the Italian dancer said: ‘The BBC has shared the allegations they have been able to substantiate with us.
‘They do not resemble Amanda’s latest allegations, given to Channel 4, in any shape or form. Giovanni refutes any claim of threatening or abusive behaviour.’
After the fallout, Amanda said she did not hear from any one at the BBC again, claiming: ‘I haven’t spoken to anyone from the BBC since Strictly.
‘No one from the BBC has reached out to me since Strictly, either through me or my lawyer.’
In a message to those in charge of the BBC show that has been running since 2004 she added: ‘Just be aware of what’s going on and when you know it’s going on, nip it in the bud. Don’t allow it to continue.’
Amanda went on to claim that she has faced a number of violent threats from both Strictly fans and ‘Giovanni fans’ who have asked her ‘how can you destroy something like Strictly’ .
She revealed the extent of the alleged harassment she has received in recent months from trolls, telling Channel 4 that ‘It has been brutal and relentless and unforgiving’.
The bombshell interview comes as the flagship BBC One show continues to be rocked by a string of allegations, which saw Giovanni as well as professional dancer Graziano Di Prima step down.
Giovanni was accused of bullying by Amanda as well as two other, unnamed contestants.
Graziano was axed from the show last week after allegations emerged that he kicked, hit and spat at reality TV star Zasra McDermott during rehearsals last year .
On Tuesday, Paralympics star Will Bayley became the latest star to speak about his time on the show.
The 36-year-old, who was paired with Janette Manrara in 2019, said he was left with life-changing injuries after being made to redo a jump in a routine as he criticised the show’s duty of care.
The Channel 4 interview comes as BBC chiefs are said to be furious about the Strictly investigation Amanda’s initial complaint triggered.
On Tuesday, the BBC’s director-general Tim Davie warned that the ‘line should never be crossed’ said: ‘I’m very sorry that anyone has had an experience on Strictly that hasn’t been wholly positive.
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Source: New York Post
