Lorraine: Pete Wicks talks about Zara's input in Strictly journey
Pete Wicks has credited his pal Zara McDermott as the driving force behind his decision to join Strictly Come Dancing.
In a candid conversation with Lorraine Kelly on her ITV programme, Pete disclosed that it was Zara who nudged him towards the dance floor. Despite never having watched the show before, Zara's enthusiasm for Strictly convinced him to take the plunge.
Ahead of his dancing debut, he confessed: "I'm petrified. I'm like a Ferrari from the waist down and a Volvo from the waist up. The hips are there - but the top half doesn't move. I've got the hips but nothing else, and I feel like you need the whole body."
The discussion quickly shifted to Zara's own stint on the show, where she faced challenges with her dance partner Graziano di Prima, who faced controversy over his conduct during rehearsals. Zara had come forward with claims of being kicked by Graziano in practice sessions, an incident he later acknowledged.
Reflecting on Zara's influence and guidance, Pete shared: "Zara was the one who pushed me to do the show because she loves the show. I'll admit - I've actually never seen it. The first time I saw Strictly was the first live show with Zara. And I thought, oh wow this is amazing. But I never thought I'd do this and the sequins and all that stuff! It's a brand new challenge and wasn't something I thought I would ever do. But it's all about challenging yourself."
Following the revelations about Graziano's behaviour backstage, Zara released a detailed statement in which she confessed that participating in the show was a "childhood dream", but her experience during training was "very different", reports Wales Online.
"When I was invited to be a contestant on the show it really was a childhood dream come true. I fully understood the level of commitment and hard work that Strictly was going to be and I dedicated everything to it. I am a resilient person and I was fully prepared to put in whatever it took. And so much of my Strictly experience was everything I could have dreamt of," she penned.
"My experience inside the training room was very different. Reports have been made about my treatment on the show and there were witnesses to some events, as well as videos of particular incidents which are incredibly distressing to watch. I have wrestled with the fear of opening up- I was scared about public backlash, I was scared about my future, I was scared of victim shaming."
