As well as setting the Strictly ballroom floor alight with their incredible performances, Pete Wicks and his professional dance partner Jowita Przystal also sent the rumour mill into overdrive with rumours of a romance between them almost immediately after it was announced they would be dancing together earlier this year.
Despite the rumours, Pete and Jowita always insisted they were just friends and now it looks like the former TOWIE playboy could be giving things a go with Love Island legend Maura Higgins following her stint in the I’m A Celeb jungle.
And just a week after her Strictly 2024 journey with Pete came to an end when they were eliminated in the semi-final, Jowita is at the centre of romance rumours once again.
According to reports, Jowita is dating fellow Strictly pro Vito Coppola – who made it all the way to this year’s final with Sarah Hadland – and their ‘palpable chemistry’ has got tongues wagging backstage.
‘There have been several flings going on under the radar this year but people are talking behind the scenes,’ a TV insider told The Sun.
‘The chemistry on set is palpable. But Vito is very respectful of Jowita and has been trying to woo her all series.
They added, ‘But Vito is very respectful of Jowita and has been trying to woo her all series.
‘Now that her partner Pete Wicks is no longer around to distract her, Vito can finally take centre stage. The Strictly Come Dancing tour is set to be lively next year.’
Jowita and Vito’s representatives have been contacted for comment.
The Strictly dancers’ alleged romance comes after Jowita’s dance partner Pete was spotted welcoming rumoured flame Maura back home alongside some of her closest friends after she returned from Australia.
During her time in the jungle, Maura seemingly alluded to Pete when she told her camp mates, ‘I am but I was seeing someone before I came in but I'm not in a relationship,’ when asked if she was single.
She continued, ‘Yeah, we've known each other five years, and never once...
‘He would always say, "Oh no, like, we are gonna go on a date somewhere." And I'd be like, "We're actually not." And I was deadly serious, "We're actually not. You're delusional."'
Later, in her first post-jungle TV appearance, Maura was quizzed about Pete by Alison Hanmmond during an interview on This Morning and admitted, ‘I said I miss him, I do miss him...’