CELEBRITY Big Brother bosses are said to be eyeing up Pete Wicks after he made a name for himself on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!

The former Towie star wasn’t even a campmate in last year’s installment but managed to wrangle his way into all the show’s parties and events.

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He was King of the Jungle Sam Thompson‘s plus one and flew out to Australia to support his best pal.

However, his cheeky antics and straight-talking humour didn’t go unnoticed by ITV bigwigs.

Speaking exclusively to The Sun, a source revealed: “ITV knew they struck gold with Sam Thompson in the jungle, so they’re desperate to book his best mate Pete Wicks to go in the Celebrity Big Brother house.

“They’re really hoping lightning will strike twice and Pete will also become a real favourite with viewers,” they continued.

“They know fans already love his bromance with Sam and adored how he greeted him on the bridge after his win.

“ITV are also hoping to make Sam and Pete the next Ant and Dec, so Pete going into the nation’s most famous house is just the next step towards that happening.

“At the moment, contracts haven’t been signed, but Pete is in advanced talks with the bosses, so it’s looking really positive.”

A spokesperson for ITV said: “Any Celebrity Big Brother names are purely speculation at this point.”

Pete was on Towie from 2015 to 2021, but he quit the show after being desperate not to become the “Ian Beale of Towie”, referring to the longstanding EastEnders character.

Last year he was slammed by popular cast members who accused him of “disrespecting the show that made him”.

Appearing on Not My Bagg podcast, host Joe Baggs asked Pete: “Do you miss being on Towie.”

Pete replied: “No, I don’t miss.

“I’ve never watched it and I never watched it before I did it, I never watched it when I did it, I’ve never watched anything I’ve done on TV.

“I’d been on it for quite a long time and I owe the show quite a lot. The show was good for me for a lot of stuff that I do now.

“I was starting to become the Ian Beale of Towie, just this sort of drunk in the corner, so it was definitely time for me to f****** do one.”

Earlier this month Pete defended himself saying he never “disrespected” the show, but admitted he does have a problem with some cast members who enjoy “stirring the pot”.

Pete and Sam became close friends after meeting on Celebs Go Dating in 2019.

They host their Staying Relevant podcast together, which has boosted in popularity since Sam won I’m A Celebrity.

It’s looking up for the pair of them as they were recently announced to be the hosts of the National Television Awards this year.

The good pals take over from the likes of Roman Kemp, Greg James, and Sam’s pal Georgia Toffolo.

Speaking about landing the gig, Sam said: “It’s an absolute honour to have been asked to be the official Red Carpet hosts for the NTAs and there’s no one I’d rather do it with than my best friend Pete.

“I’ll definitely be grabbing Ant & Dec for a chat!”

While, Pete added: “From fighting our way into boxes full of celebs at the NTAs for the past decade, to being the official Red Carpet hosts – things are looking up!

“But on a serious note we’re thrilled to have been asked and know it’s going to be a great night.”

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