Former TOWIE star Pete Wicks has been left frustrated after he was pictured with his arms around married co-star pal Olivia Attwood during a recent trip to Ibiza
Pete Wicks has found himself embroiled in controversy after photographs emerged of him appearing cosy with married mate Olivia Attwood during a recent jaunt to Ibiza.
Now, an insider reveals to Mirror that the ex-TOWIE personality, 36, is exasperated as he battles to dispel his lothario reputation. “Pete is sick of being unable to have close friends without it being misconstrued. He always has this problem of people thinking the worst,” reveals the source, who insists the duo are merely platonic pals.
Olivia, 34, and Pete were on the Spanish party island combining business with leisure. They soaked up the sun with mates and partied at nightspots whilst filming their joint Kiss radio programme, The Sunday Roast.
However, during a maritime excursion, Pete was captured with his arms wrapped around the ex-Love Islander as she reclined against him. The snap triggered gossip amongst followers about the genuine nature of their bond – and allegedly left Olivia’s spouse, Bradley Dack, seething at home.
Sources suggest Olivia’s footballer other half was “livid” when his team-mates circulated the images in Gillingham FC’s WhatsApp chat. One reportedly commented, “Bradley’s tried to laugh it off, but inside he’s fuming. He trusts Liv, but Pete having his hands over his wife while she’s wearing a bikini isn’t a great look. He’s livid with her for putting him in this position,” reports the Mirror.
Olivia’s fans have been quick to pile on her across social media, with one expressing they are “worried” for her marriage.
The reality star hit back sharply, responding: “Don’t be. Worry about your own.”
Bradley and Olivia tied the knot two years ago and have been an item on and off since first crossing paths in 2015. She’s maintained a close friendship with Pete for several years now, ever since they met on TOWIE back in 2019.
Pete was linked to fellow Love Island star Maura Higgins earlier this year, though he’s believed to be flying solo at present. His romantic life frequently comes under intense scrutiny – not least his rollercoaster relationships with Megan McKenna, Chloe Sims and Ella Rae Wise.
Throughout his Strictly stint last year, Pete was also dogged by speculation about a romance with professional partner Jowita Przystał, claims both firmly rejected. While supporters obsess over his love life, the Essex lad has openly admitted he simply clicks “better with women” as mates.
Pete explained earlier this year: “I grew up with two really strong women, my mum and my nan, so I’ve always felt comfortable around women. A friend is a friend and the idea that men and women can’t be friends is a load of b*******.”
Speaking about Olivia specifically, he revealed: “I count Vicky Pattison and Olivia Attwood as two of my really, really close friends. I adore the bones of those girls. Female friendships are important, but friendship in general is important.”
The pair kicked off their joint radio show this year and even made an appearance together at the BRIT Awards in March. Regardless of any controversy stirred by their summer jaunt, Pete and Olivia glossed over the drama, effusively recounting the fun they had.
Speaking on their podcast, Pete shared, “Obviously, we were out there working for a couple of days and then we had a couple of days off. It was… the people we were with made it such an amazing trip, but also we don’t get a lot of time off, and it was nice to go off radar a little bit.”
Joining in with a laugh, Olivia added, “I’m not going to lie, it was very feral. There’s a lot that happened that we can’t even discuss on this podcast.”
However, despite their attempts to downplay the situation, our insider suggests that the uproar has left Pete concerned about jeopardising his friendship with Olivia.
“Pete isn’t the playboy people are making him out to be, he loves Olivia as a friend and is there for her, but there’s nothing romantic going on,” our source reveals. “He doesn’t want to lose their friendship over this because they get along so well and that means so much to him.”
Want all the biggest Showbiz and TV news straight to your inbox? Sign up for our free Daily Star Showbiz newsletter.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
