PETE Wicks was once again the third wheel as Sam Thompson reunited with his girlfriend Zara McDermott.
I’m A Celeb winner Sam landed back in the UK yesterday and was met by a delighted Zara carrying a bunch of balloons.
Pete was also there having been in Australia to support Sam during the final – but he was left feeling out of place when the loved-up couple finally saw each other again.
Sharing pictures of the special moment, Pete wrote: “They were reunited…I was awkward.”
He added another picture comparing himself to the character Carl from the animated film Up, also holding a bunch of balloons.
Over the weekend the former Made In Chelsea star, 31, was crowned King Of The Jungle, with boxing legend Tony Bellew coming in second place, and Nigel Farage in third.
Fans questioned why Zara wasn’t there to meet him but she explained it was because she thought that she would still be competing on Strictly Come Dancing.
She shared on Instagram: “Pete is going. We’ve had a few laughs and jokes about this.
“But in all seriousness; Sam thought I was still going to be in Strictly (bless him, the optimism), so Pete cleared his whole diary for 2/3 weeks to be there.”
The 26-year-old added: “I also have had to rush back to work as soon as Strictly finished to finish two of my documentaries before Xmas which I am currently abroad filming now and we also have training for our final Strictly number.
“So it was a bit impossible to clear everything but Sam was so excited by the idea of Pete being there anyway that he was happy for me to be waiting for him back at base.”
Despite not going down under, Zara hosted a big celebration party at their home with friends and family to support Sam as he became King of the Jungle 2023.
After his win, Sam took to social media and told fans:”Thank you from the bottom of my heart, there aren’t quite the words to describe how grateful I am for each and everyone of you who supported me during my time in the jungle.”
He continued: “When I first stepped foot in that jungle, I didn’t know what to expect, and I was a bit nervous about whether I was going to make myself look like a d**k as I know I’m a bit full on especially when there’s a lot of people and energy around at all times.”
