Maura Higgins can’t stop smiling after it’s revealed she’s dating Strictly’s Pete Wicks and signed up for I’m A Celeb

MAURA Higgins couldn’t stop smiling after it was revealed that she was dating Strictly’s Pete Wicks and had signed up for I’m A Celeb.

The reality TV star scooped up the role after former islander, Tommy Fury pulled out just weeks before the show started.

Tommy’s late exit helped pave the way for the Irish model and TV host because it meant there wouldn’t be two stars from the ITV2 dating show going into the jungle in the same year.

Maura, 33, will be leaving behind her boyfriend Pete Wicks after The Sun revealed they are an item.

A Jungle insider said: “With Tommy Fury pulling out it gave show bosses the opportunity to look at other Love Island stars and Maura stood out as the perfect candidate.

“She’ll bringing a bit of glamour to the jungle and make a brilliant campmate because she’s got a great sense of humour and is bound to get on with everyone.”

Maura has since gone on several dates with her Pete.

The Sun’s exclusive images showed the pair enjoying a kiss after a date at east London hotspot Gloria.

The reality TV stunners – who were seen “all over each other” at a recent boozy celeb bash – have since sealed their relationship with a very public snog.

Pete, who is currently on Strictly Come Dancing, has sent fans into a whirlwind of speculation after he ‘kissed’ his dance partner Jowita Przystał during a steamy performance during a week of non-stop speculation over ‘will they/won’t they’.

The kiss led Strictly fans to be convinced that there was something going on, on a romantic level, between Pete and Jowita.

A source has revealed to The Sun that Pete and Jowita are “definitely not” dating, and he is in fact with reality TV sensation Maura Higgins.

They said: “He’s with Maura – they spend every spare moment they can together when he’s not rehearsing.

“They’ve been keeping things under wraps as it was great for Strictly – everyone loves a romance don’t they, and Pete and Jowita kept everyone guessing – but sadly for Strictly fans this is very much a showmance and Pete only has eyes for Maura.”

They added that Jowita and Pete’s ‘showmance’ has taken fans attention away from what’s really going on in the Towie hunk’s love life.

Continuing: “When everyone thought him and Jowita were together it conveniently meant that Pete and Maura could enjoy their new romance away from prying eyes but the cat’s out of the bag now.”

Earlier this week, Maura – who shot to fame on the 2019 series of Love Island – spoke for the first time about her connection with former Towie star Pete.

She said: “We just get on very, very well. I adore him, he’s an amazing person.

“Do you know what’s so weird? We met very soon after me coming off Love Island and we just instantly clicked. 

“Our humour is the same. It’s like that sick, dark humour. It’s very abusive. We abuse each other. Very nasty, it’s hilarious.”

Maura made the admission on the  podcast with Paul Brunson.