How Pete Wicks REALLY feels about Maura Higgins as the pair finally reunite, insiders tell KATIE HIND - and why dalliance with Strictly partner Jowita Przystal has 'cooled'

It was the moment that Strictly heart-throb Pete Wicks had been impatiently waiting for.

After spending weeks 10,000 miles apart, he and Maura Higgins were finally reunited in London following her stint in the I'm A Celebrity jungle - and they weren't going to keep it a secret.

Maura, the Irish beauty who first found fame on dating show Love Island back in 2019, beamed with happiness in a photograph alongside three of her close friends that she posted on Instagram on Wednesday night.

The reunion must have been a long time coming. Before Maura jetted off to Australia last month, Pete - who she had been dating casually for five months - was pictured getting close to his Strictly partner Jowita Przystal. Friends of Maura revealed she was devastated.

But clearly, they have both buried the hatchet. After landing at Heathrow airport on Tuesday from Brisbane, Maura made straight for the five-star Me Hotel on London's Strand to meet Pete - leaving their fans in no doubt they are back together.

Indeed, I'm told Maura and Pete were talking on the phone almost immediately after she left the jungle. Meanwhile, friends of Pete say he is 'completely smitten' with the Irish star.

And now, having been watched by a combined 16 million people for the last three weeks while taking part in their respective programmes - Strictly for Pete and I'm A Celeb for Maura - their romance is already being discussed by showbiz insiders as one of the most lucrative since Posh and Becks. A joint nickname, 'Paura', is even catching on.

The couple, who have a combined Instagram following of almost six million, have seen their popularity soar in recent weeks.

Both Pete, the 36-year-old reality television star who first found fame on The Only Way Is Essex back in 2015, and Maura, 34, have cultivated new audiences this year during their TV appearances. They now have big brands queuing up to work with them, following in the footsteps of David and Victoria Beckham - the undisputed trailblazers of British 'celebrity couples'.

When Pete made his Strictly debut in September, female viewers in particular couldn't resist his mischievous manner as he injected some much-needed cheeky fun into the show. Before that, he was known for his role on reality show Towie and his podcast Staying Relevant with last year's I'm A Celeb winner and Made In Chelsea star, Sam Thompson.

'Pete and Maura had a very niche following before they made their foray into mainstream television,' said one source who knows both of them.

'Youngsters knew them and they have tonnes of fans online but for the last month Maura has been a household name, while Pete has been one since September. Now they are together, they are heading towards brand domination. They will literally be able to name their price. They could be looking at television programmes, huge brand endorsements and book deals.'

There is certainly a gap in the market for a hot new couple. Tommy Fury and Molly Mae Hague, who met on Love Island in 2019 and went on to make around £9 million from their own lucrative endorsements, books and television deals, were slated to be the next big thing until their bombshell split in August.

Before that, Katie Price and Peter Andre were showbiz's trendiest pair after they met on I'm A Celeb in 2004. They demanded £1 million from OK magazine for rights to their wedding the following year and signed a multi-million pound deal with ITV for their fly-on-the-wall show Katie & Peter.

However, that too came to an ugly end in 2009 when they split up, and later divorced.

What makes 'Brand Paura' all the more compelling is Pete and Maura's rollercoaster dating history.

News that the pair were an item broke after they were spotted kissing at several high-profile events, including the Pride of Britain Awards in October.

But after Pete's arrival on Strictly, he started cosying up to his dancing partner Jowita and Maura gave up on any hope of having a relationship. She told those close to her that she was effectively 'single'.

A friend said: 'Before Maura entered the jungle, Pete wanted to make their relationship exclusive. But Maura, aware of Pete's reputation and his close bond with Jowita, decided to slow things down. She gave him an ultimatum: either commit to me fully, or let it go.

'So she went off to Australia a single woman and Pete was sad about it,' reveals my source.

Though the ex-Love Islander left for the jungle with a bruised ego, she kept her qualms to herself for weeks before finally confiding in ex-Strictly Come Dancing pro and Jungle co-star Oti Mabuse in early December.

When Oti asked if she was single, Maura replied: 'I am. I was seeing someone before I came in but I'm not in a relationship.'

When Reverend Richard Coles followed up by asking if they were 'exclusive', Maura replied: 'I don't know.'

After Maura admitted she'd never been in love before, radio presenter Dean McCullough asked her: Does it feel different this time?'

Maura replied: 'It does, but is that because we've known each other for a long time? He's not an a**hole.'

Her comments, say those who know Pete, raised his spirits. For despite being spotted getting close to Jowita in public, it was Maura he wanted after all.

In fact, Pete was so determined to win Maura's trust, he swiftly put a stop to any romance with Jowita.

'Since then, Pete has gone all-in, openly expressing his feelings for Maura to anyone who will listen,' says a friend. 'Although he continued to dance with Jowita weekly, their off-the-floor relationship wasn't as close as it had been at the beginning.

'Pete was desperate to get over to Australia, to see Maura. But he had no idea he would stay on Strictly for so long.'

Despite the ups and downs, friends say that it was all worth it.

One person certainly thinks so: Maura's agent Talia Solomon. She was a notable presence in the Instagram photograph posted by Maura on Wednesday night.

Talia also manages former I'm A Celeb winners, Gogglebox star Scarlett Moffatt and EastEnders actress Jaqueline Jossa, who both went on to make millions off the back of their stints in the jungle.

And, thanks to 'Paura', industry insiders are now predicting that Talia will be busier - and richer - than ever.

'There is so much money to be made,' said one.

'And it will make all the heartache suffered by both Maura and Pete in recent weeks pay off.'