Strictly's Pete Wicks shares why dance made him 'cringe'

The TV star said his latest performance on the BBC show would 'live with me forever'

Strictly Come Dancing 2024,14-09-2024,Generics,Generics,Pete Wicks,BBC Public Service,Ray Burmiston
Pete Wicks was left cringing over a moment on Strictly. (BBC)

Pete Wicks has admitted his latest Strictly Come Dancing routine left him cringing.

The reality star and his pro partner Jowita Przystal performed a George Of The Jungle themed routine for Movie Week, with Wicks getting into character in a skimpy leopard-print loincloth. It went down a storm with the judges and the pair scored 26 out of 40 despite a stumble.

But it was the opening seconds - which saw Wicks standing on judge Craig Revel Horwood's desk gyrating his hips before swinging down to the dancefloor on a rope - that left the lasting impression.

The moment came up on Strictly spin-off It Takes Two, with host Fleur East calling it "iconic", and asking Wicks: "Did you enjoy letting go?"

"I let go of a lot of things - dignity, one of them," quipped the TOWIE star. "Thankfully I didn't let go of the rope because that would have been even more of a disaster. But honestly it makes me cringe watching it."

"That's going to live with me forever now," he added.

Pete Wicks on Craig Revel Horwood's desk. (BBC screengrab)
Pete Wicks on Craig Revel Horwood's desk. (BBC screengrab)

Dancer Przystal said she was glad that the audience got to see Wicks' humour in the routine, which she said she sees all the time as they are rehearsing. "We laugh a lot," she said.

"I see Pete every day and at least three hours or two hours of our training is me laughing. And sometimes I literally can not stop. I just look at him and, gone."

"I think it's the hip thrusting that makes her laugh, much like the rest of the nation!" joked Wicks.

The star said he was trying to become "comfortable" doing things like the George Of The Jungle routine, but confessed it wasn't all that easy for him.

"It is so out of my comfort zone and I think the whole point of this is to get comfortable with being uncomfortable," he said. "And that is exactly what I'm doing. I am trying to get comfortable doing that. And it ain't easy!"

Pete Wicks on It Takes Two. (BBC screengrab)
Pete Wicks on It Takes Two. (BBC screengrab)

However, the star said he did enjoy performing the dance, calling it "very freeing".

Wicks did have a trip in the routine but managed to keep going without breaking character, with Przystal noting that he didn't even blink. "It's the third week and it's the first time I've tripped, so that's a surprise," he said.

The pair will now dance will now perform a Quickstep for their next routine.