THE shock departure of heart-throb dancer Giovanni Pernice left Strictly Come Dancing with a vacancy for a “smouldering womanising hunk” in urgent need of filling.
But luckily, Beeb producers catering to women of a certain age did not have to travel to Italy to find a replacement — they just had a short drive down the A13 to Essex.
Pete Wicks, the heavily-tattooed former bad boy of reality show The Only Way Is Essex, has been billed “the new Giovanni” by Strictly bosses — and it is not because of his dance moves.
Indeed, Gio 2.0 Pete, who at 36 is just two years older than his counterpart, has become a huge hit with middle-aged female viewers.
He is the new “bit of rough” they can gawp at on a Saturday night — and he has certainly been up for the task.
From gyrating in tight pink PVC trousers to thrusting his schlong in a George Of The Jungle leopard-print outfit and choosing risqué songs, like Right Said Fred’s I’m Too Sexy, Pete has been hamming it up.
A show insider said: “Strictly have turned Pete into the new Giovanni, there’s no doubt about that. It’s been quite deliberate.
“Women are swooning over him and it’s keeping him in the competition, week after week.
“It wouldn’t be wrong to say many viewers had no idea who Pete was before this series. They certainly do now.
“With their matching brooding looks, tanned, rugged features, chiselled physiques and muscles on display, Pete has been a like-for-like swap for Gio.
“He has even amassed an entirely new fanbase. Plus there are no dark tales of bad behaviour or bullying.”
Strictly bosses, who consist of mostly women, have been clever in moulding Pete into Giovanni and they share many parallels — even when it comes to their romances.
Pete currently has an on-off relationship with Irish Love Island beauty Maura Higgins, a contestant on the new series of I’m A Celebrity, who also happens to be Gio’s ex after the pair dated in 2021.
He also had a relationship with former Towie co-star Jess Wright, who Giovanni dated in 2018.
Plus, Pete is growing increasingly close to his current dance partner Jowita Przystal, 30, who was linked to Gio last year.
Of course, when Giovanni stepped down earlier this year — amid the bullying investigation into his treatment of former dance partner and actress Amanda Abbington, 50 — the biggest outcries came from his army of middle-aged female fans.
Amanda became the target of trolls and even received death threats. As with Giovanni in previous series, Pete’s outfits have certainly been the most eye-catching out of all the male stars’.
Namely, the barely-there leopard-print outfit for his samba routine in Movie Week, which made a lasting impression on judge Craig Revel Horwood, and last weekend’s Cha Cha costume, featuring the tightest (hot pink) PVC trousers the dance series has ever seen.
He even appealed to acid-tongued Craig with a fake tattoo of the judge’s face on his body and proudly flashing his abs to the cameras.
Those who know Pete well will appreciate he has stepped out of his comfort zone to embrace his risqué fashion choices, which has pleased show bosses.
The insider added: “Pete made it clear he’s up for anything.
He would never have dreamed of wearing outfits such as these previously
Pete insider
“He knows he’s not the best dancer, but is well aware voters appreciate a trier.
“Bosses have deliberately assigned Pete as this year’s hunk in Giovanni’s absence and want to dress him as sexy as possible.
“He would never have dreamed of wearing outfits such as these previously, but Pete’s just got on with it — no questions asked.
“Albeit he does joke he’s been made to look outrageous at times, but that’s just part of his ‘moody’ character.
“He knows what he’s doing.”
Pete’s signing to Strictly came as a surprise to those in the industry.
He has only ever been associated with reality shows, which is usually a Strictly no-no, and has no real previous connection to the BBC.
But his likeness to the controversial Italian and willingness to step out of his comfort zone secured his place on the show.
And his progression to the latter stages of the competition should not come as a surprise to those who follow Pete outside of Strictly.
His association with I’m A Celebrity 2023 winner Sam Thompson, who he met on E4 show Celebs Go Dating, has been a career booster of epic proportions.
The best friends’ Staying Relevant podcast is so popular that they sold out a UK tour, and their TikTok videos bag millions of viewers.
And it is their vocal young fanbase, who voted in their droves to secure Sam’s jungle win, coupled with Pete’s newfound love from middle-aged Strictly fans, which has kept him away from the dreaded dance-off.
Pete’s chemistry with his dance partner Jowita is also a contributing factor to their success.
The pair have sparked romance rumours, with one source saying: “Pete loves Jowita, he has the utmost respect for her.”
Whether it is enough to secure him a spot in the final remains to be seen, but he has certainly made his mark on the hearts of millions.
BLIND comedian Chris McCausland has revealed he calls pro partner Dianne Buswell “Nicole Kidman”.
The 47-year-old said that he and Australian dancer Dianne, 35, are always swamped by fans when they are seen in public, leading him to compare the experience to socialising with another famous Aussie red-head – Hollywood actress Nicole, 57.
Speaking on the Graham Norton Show about popping out with Dianne for lunch, he said: “It has got to the point that, for two months, I have been saying, ‘Come on Nicole, let’s go get some spaghetti bolognese’.”
MONTELL Douglas has joked that pro partner Johannes Radebe’s bum is too big for PVC trousers like the ones worn by Pete Wicks.
The 38-year-old, aka Fire on BBC’s Gladiators, said she would love to see him in skin-tight bottoms like the pink ones fans believe helped save Pete on last week’s show.
It came after Montell and Johannes, 37, inset, ended up in the dance-off while Pete and Jowita Przystal sailed through as fans swooned over his revealing strides.
Asked if she and Johannes need a pair of pink pants to win extra votes, Montell said: “They’re not going to fit Johannes’s behind. But we all want to see it though, right?
“We would pay to see that! I would, I would just stand there and watch.”
Meanwhile, the former Team GB athlete said she has dropped two dress sizes training for up to ten hours a day.
She added: “I’m shredded and I’m 38 years old. I haven’t looked like this since I was 20, before my first Olympic Games.
“I’ve dropped two dress sizes. I’ve lost a stone – it’s wild. It’s changed my whole physique.
“Even the Gladiators have mentioned it and said, ‘Oh, my gosh, you look insane’.
“Legend was like, ‘Mate, you look shredded’. It’s a different body type. But it’s been nice because I still feel really strong.
“Usually, if you would lose that muscle tone and mass as a Gladiator, you would feel it. But I still feel like I could take someone on right now.
“I will be going back to the gym after Strictly.”
