STRICTLY star Pete Wicks appears to have struck up a romance with Love Island beauty Maura Higgins.
Onlookers spotted the pair kissing at the Broadwick Soho Hotel over the weekend.
Pete, 36, who will be announced this week as a contestant on the BBC One show, is believed to have been single for some time.
And Maura, 33, split from her boyfriend, Hollywood stuntman Bobby Holland Hanton, in March.
An onlooker told The Sun Pete came to join Maura at the posh five star hotel on Saturday evening where she had been having lunch with friends.
They said: “Maura had been sitting on the terrace with friends for an hour before Pete arrived.
“After they’d sat there for a while Maura went in for a long kiss with Pete. It wasn’t the kind of kiss you’d give a friend, it was very passionate.
“Maura and Pete seemed to be really into each other and kept looking into each other’s eyes before kissing again a number of times.
“When it got dark they moved into the hotel’s Flute bar and Pete sat with his arm around Maura all evening.
“They were all over each other. They looked totally in love and weren’t trying to hide it from anyone.”
Pete and Maura, who appeared on Love Island in 2019, were last spotted together in public at the TV Bafta awards in May.
Chivalrous Pete was photographed helping Maura into a taxi following the party at London’s Royal Festival Hall.
Prior to this, they were filmed looking cosy at the Pride of Britain Awards last year but insisted they were just close friends.
Maura revealed today in an interview with a women’s magazine that she was back on the market.
She said: “I’m dating… The thing with me is I won’t just date someone.
“I don’t go off just looks, I have to be speaking to somebody for quite some time to sort of get their vibe. It needs to be flirty, getting to know each other, getting a vibe.”
The Sun revealed last month how Pete had signed up for this year’s Strictly.
Today blind TV presenter Chris McCausland, 47, and JLS singer JB Gill, 37, were confirmed to be taking part in the competition as they appeared on ITV’s This Morning.
The Sun first revealed how Chris had signed up to the show in June.
He said: “This is literally the worst kept secret that has ever been in British television.
“It’s been exhausting keeping it a secret when everyone else seems to know.”
JB, who also owns a turkey farm in Kent, added: “I danced in the Strictly Christmas special over a decade ago and loved it, so when I got the call to join Strictly this year, it was an immediate yes from me.
“I’m raring to go and looking forward to showing off some new skills to the JLS boys.
“From muddy wellies on the fields of my farm to sequins and Glitterballs – I’m here to embrace it all.”
