The podcaster and presenter chats to the Mirror about his admiration for Paul O’Grady, his love of dogs – and how he’ll still be talking about Strictly on his deathbed
Animal lover Pete Wicks is hoping to become the new Paul O’Grady, as his For Dog’s Sake? Channel 4 series gets tail waggingly good reviews from fans. He says: “Am I the new Paul O’Grady? It would be a privilege. He’s an icon, a national treasure. “What he did for dogs, the love that he showed, you don’t find very often. It’s an absolute honour to even be put in the same sentence as someone like that.”
Speaking from his East London flat, his new puppy, a five-month-old rescue rottweiler named Rodney, and his aged French bulldog, “blind and deaf, basically a loaf of bread on legs” are never far away. He continues: “Whenever you watched Paul with dogs there was genuine love and care.
I’m the same, and I think that’s where the comparisons come from. I met him once at an awards ceremony, and I was star struck. He probably had no idea who I was. He was a really lovely man. And whenever you think of him, you think of dogs. That’s what I hope for.”
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Pete, 37, found fame on ITV’s The Only Way Is Essex in 2015, but is now known for his weekly podcast Pete Wicks: Man Made, for co-hosting the podcast Staying Relevant with Sam Thompson and for his TV show Pete Wicks: For Dog’s Sake. He says: “Dogs are the only thing that make me feel safe, happy, content.”
Admitting that he is still grieving the recent death of his French bulldog, Peggy, a few months ago, he adds: “I’m still really upset about it to be honest, I’ve been grieving. I think we underestimate sometimes in the UK how much of an impact losing a dog, or any other animal that’s part of your family is. I spend some of my happiest moments with my dogs, and I did with Peggy.”
Reflecting on his childhood in Harlow, Essex, he says his love of dogs started very young, explaining: “I was a bit of a weird child. I didn’t really play with toys. I collected sticks. The only kind of toy I remember as a kid was a little wooden dog on wheels.” Speaking ahead of the legendary dog show Crufts, which he will be going to next week, Pete, who came fourth on Strictly Come Dancing in 2024, says he has other TV work in the pipeline.
But, despite his love of dogs, he also loved the human interaction he had on Strictly and praises his professional dance partner, Jowita Przystał, 31, who he has been romantically linked to.
He says: “I’ll be talking about Strictly until the day I die, on my deathbed – I’ll probably be that kind of sad old man, if I make it that far, that will sit and talk about the time that I did an Argentine tango in front of millions of people. It is surprising how intense and consuming it is. I couldn’t believe I was still there week after week – I mean, I can’t dance!”
But he says his lifelong insomnia helped, as he still had plenty of energy. He adds: “I only need three hours of sleep a night. It’s just a bit of insomnia. But I’ve been like that since I’m a kid, so I’m so used to it now. If I get three, four hours I’m good as gold. I also had the best partner I possibly could have done [Jowita]. She’s become such a good friend of mine now. That whole experience had a lot to do with her being so amazing.”
But, barking mad or not, Pete’s big dream is to dance into the sunset with his canine friends. He says: “My dream is to buy some land in the middle of nowhere and build a home for ASBO dogs, the ones that nobody wants. Everyone deserves a second chance, I know I do.”
*Pete Wicks is an ambassador for Pooch & Mutt: a UK pet food and health brand on a mission to help dogs live happier, healthier lives. See poochandmutt.co.uk
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