Are Pete Wicks and Maura Higgins dating? The rumours explained

23 October 2024, 16:19

By Abbie Reynolds

Love Island's Maura Higgins and TOWIE's Pete Wicks have been romantically linked, but what's going on? Here's what we know.

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While former The Only Way Is Essex star Pete Wicks has been starring on Strictly Come Dancing 2024, rumours have been swirling about him possibly dating Love Island star Maura Higgins.

Pete, who's famously besties with I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! 2023 winner Sam Thompson, is on the dancing competition show with dance partner Jowita Przystal.

Maura originally appeared on Love Island in 2019 where she found love with Curtis Pritchard, however, the pair ultimately called it quits in March 2020.

In 2022, she managed to get in the headlines after she was photographed locking lips with none other than Love Island 2024 bombshell Joey Essex! And since August 2024 she's been romantically linked to Pete.

So, is Maura now dating TOWIE 'bad boy' Pete? Here's what we know.

Read more: Maura Higgins Reveals 'Not Too Polite Run In' With Ex Curtis Pritchard On Love Island Games

Maura Higgins hosted Love Island USA Season 6. Picture: Getty

Are Pete Wicks and Maura Higgins dating?

During a Pride Of Britain Awards after party on October 21st, Maura and Pete seemed to confirm their romance when they were spotted locking lips.

An onlooker told MailOnline: "They were all over each other, I was surprised to see them looking so close because I thought he had real chemistry with Jowita.

"At one point they were basically straddling each other and didn't seem to care at all that people could see them."

Pete and Maura first fuelled romance rumours in August when they were spotted kissing outside the a hotel in Soho, London enjoying an alfresco lunch.

Maura and Pete also recently shared a TikTok video together where they performed a viral dance move, which had fans sure they were a thing as Pete pulled Maura into him.

Recently, Pete and his dance partner Jowita sparked dating rumours too but she addressed them, insisting they were just friends.

Jowita told OK! magazine: "We have very good chemistry together as friends, we really get on well with each other, and we have so much fun together.

"And dancing is a bit like acting, so we're telling a story every night on Saturday night, and I think we're doing a pretty good job with that."

"But we're very good friends, and I love him so much as a brother, and I think we're going to stay friends for life, to be honest," she explained.

Pete and Maura have been romantically linked since August 2024. Picture: Getty

Who is Pete Wicks' girlfriend?

According to The Mirror, Pete was overheard saying he was "single" on the Pride Of Britain red carpet just hours before he and Maura were spotted getting close at an after party.

This comes after he opened up about how he approaches relationships during the High Performance podcast earlier this month. He said: "As soon as that kind of closeness develops, I'm like, 'Right I'm off then', it's a case of leaving before someone leaves you.

"It's that classic abandonment syndrome, you're basically self-sabotaging, and this is the control freak part. At least I'm in control of that.

"I never thought I wanted to get married or have kids. Over the last few years [I've thought] I would love to get married, I would love to have kids but I am not in a position to be able to do that yet,

"There is so much weird stuff in my head that that would be so unfair for me to be able to go and do that. It may be to a point that I may never get married, I may never have kids and that's OK."