Pete, 37, got very candid about his feelings after losing his grandmother, as he admitted it changed his life in so many ways. During the tough time, he said he’s “never been so lonely”, as he had to learn to try and navigate his grief following the tragic loss of his “best friend”.
In a clip shared on Instagram, he said: “I was really blessed and lucky to have had my nan for such a long time, and I’ve never felt so lonely and lost after she was gone, and I think that was the point where I thought f***, because she was always my safety net.
“I was fortunate enough to have someone there who was a safety net to me and it wasn’t until, you know, I hit 35-years-old that I thought f***. I used to speak to her every day, she was my best friend.
“If I’d have got married while she was still here, she would have been my best man. Point blank.”
Warning: Below video may contain offensive language
Former The Only Way Is Essex star Pete lost his beloved grandmother in 2022. When he appeared on Strictly back in 2024, he admitted he thinks she would have loved to have seen him compete in the Latin and ballroom BBC show.
Pete’s nan Doreen helped to bring Pete up in Harlow after his parents separated. She’s said to have been a huge support to him, as his mother struggled with her mental health when he was growing up.
During his time competing in the dance show, he told the High Performance podcast: “She would have loved it. I don’t think she ever imagined that I’d be doing ballroom dancing on a Saturday night.
“Hopefully there’s one song that we might be doing which is very, very special to me at some point, if I’m in long enough, which is going to be a bit of a tribute to her.”
After he opened up about their close relationship on Man Made, many fans reached out to offer support. Some also praised him for speaking about his feelings and struggle so candidly.
One said: “Listening to you talk about your nan is like listening to me talk about mine – mine was taken way too soon, but was blessed with her for 23 years of my life. Miss her every day.”
Another added: “As someone who has only one grandparent left (unfortunately she has dementia), I can really empathise your pain, Pete.”
A third replied: “I know what you mean, I was the same with my mum, and completely lost since she’s passed.” Meanwhile, a fourth also commented: “Your nan is looking down smiling at you @p_wicks01. This was like me and my mum.”
One more also added: “Aww, every time you talk about her I miss my grandma Mary. She was my best friend. My second mum.”
