TOWIE is set to return in the not too distant future now the cast have started filming series 31, but there's going to be a major void in the cast.
According to reports, Pete Wicks has quit the show after eight years and now his former flame Ella Rae Wise has spoken out about the sad situation.
Ella was taking part in an Instagram Q&A with her followers when one asked, "How do you feel about Pete leaving the show? Will you miss him?"
Ella replied, "Aw I was gutted but I've made a forever friend in Pete and I'm glad ❤️.
"He's always had my back, protected me and gave me the best advice. I will definitely miss him and pissing him off xxx.
"We will very much still keep in touch 😋."
During the Q&A, Ella also teased following in Pete's footsteps and appearing on Celebs Go Dating.
When asked if she would ever appear on the E4 show, Ella said, "Yes of course! We all know I could flirt with a loaf of bread."
Ella and Pete have done their fair share of flirting with each other over the past few years, but he recently hinted that it wasn't all it was cracked up to be.
Speaking on the Saving Grace podcast, Pete teased, "The whole Ella thing, I was single when we filmed that and me and Ella get on really well. She's a lovely girl.
"We enjoyed a little flirt but I think people like to get carried away with the idea of it. There needed to be something going on didn't there?"
"A storyline?", asked host GK Barry, to which Pete replied, "There's f**k all else going on on that show, is there?"
Back in December, after TOWIE shared a short snippet of Ella and Pete on their TikTok, fans noticed a slight filming issue.
During the "flirty" clip, Pete offers Ella a ride on his motorbike and gives her his leather jacket as she pulls on a helmet and hops on the back. But as Pete rides off, the filming crew can be spotted in his wing mirror.
ROOKIE ERROR TOWIE. How long have you been making the show? Over ten years, that's how long, and we still have the camera man chilling in shot. Somebody is getting fired.
Of course, the comments came in thick and fast once the observation had been made, not only on TikTok but Twitter had an absolute field day as well.
"It’s the reflection in the wing mirror for me🫣😂," wrote one.
Not only were people quick to comment on the blunder but the Ella x Pete romance in general seems to be a big no-no for viewers.
"Cringe!! Why does she act and talk like a child!! Pete no!! Just no," was just one comment, with a simple "Cringe" making the opinion of another clear.
Ella found herself defending whatever was going on between the pair back in the summer when they were caught kissing.
In pictures obtained by The Sun, Ella could be seen smiling at Pete before grabbing him by the face as they lock lips. Her best pal and their TOWIE co-star Dani Imbert, who split from Liam ‘Gatsby’ Blackwell last year, was pictured in the background.
After the pictures came to light, Ella took to Instagram to post about "peace" as she shared a glam selfie. Alongside a picture of her posing in the mirror, she wrote, "dnd [do not disturb] my inner peace ✌🏽."
It wouldn’t be the first time Pete had dated one of his co-stars as he’s also romanced Megan McKenna, Shelby Tribble and Chloe Sims.
Last year, Ella opened up about the chemistry between her and Pete and told Closer, “When I said to the girls, ‘We’re quite flirty,’ I think they took it as a little thing; they didn’t realise how flirty we were. Even the show producers said, ‘We can sit there and watch you look at each other.’ He’s got really good chat.”
She added, “My mum says that him being older than me doesn’t matter, because my dad’s 10 years older than her. She and Pete get on really well; if we’re on the phone, she gets involved in our conversation – they have a little chinwag. I think she fancies him more than I do!”
Ella also admitted that Pete’s tumultuous on-screen dating life has caused her concerns, saying, “Everyone’s really worried about me getting hurt, but I can turn my feelings on and off. If I’m getting an inkling of, ‘Hold on a minute, he’s going to do me over here,’ then I’ll take a step back.
“Pete hasn’t got the best track record when it comes to that and I’ve been hurt before, so I’m focusing on myself right now. But never say never – if it happens, it happens. I’m not going put pressure on the situation. If it’s meant to be, it’ll find its way.”
Check out: Ella on… the TOWIE legends
Ella Wise on the TOWIE legends
1 of 3Gemma Collins
"I've spoken to Gemma a few times because she knows my mum. She's amazing. I'll talk to her when I need advice or just someone to speak to about anything."
2 of 3Megan McKenna
"People think I look like Megan; I had that even before the Pete stuff came about. She's gorgeous."
3 of 3Lauren Goodger
"Fans of the show tell me I sound like Lauren; she's an absolute TOWIE legend!"