Strictly's Pete Wicks brands Maura Higgins 'my winner' ahead of I'm A Celeb eviction

Strictly Come Dancing star Pete Wicks continued to ignite dating rumours after sharing his support for Maura Higgins.

The reality star is currently participating in I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here, and unlike the previous weeks of voting for Bushtucker trials, viewers will now vote for elimination.

With the major change in the votes, Pete took to his Instagram story to re-share a photo of the 34-year-old face on the We Can Do It poster.

He shared his amazement in the caption: “There she is! My winner…” and encouraged his 1.8million followers to “Vote Maura.”

The post was originally shared on the Love Island star’s page, which a trusted friend wrote: “She can do it! But she needs your help! Vote to keep our Maura in the jungle.”

The duo first sparked dating rumours in August after they were spotted locking lips during an intimate lunch in Soho.

According to an onlooker via The Sun: “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.”

The following month, Maura played into the romance speculation as she supported Pete during the live episode of his Staying Relevant Podcast, which he co-hosts with Sam Thompson.

Posing alongside the 2023 I’m A Celeb winner, she sported a top featuring a photo of her and Pete kissing and text that read: “We can’t be friends.”

Although the rumoured couple have yet to confirm their relationship, Pete has shut down speculation that he’s dating his professional partner, Jowita Przystal.

During a recent appearance on Lorraine, the TOWIE star shared: “We've said from day one that we're really good friends but they just want to do what they want to do.