Pete Wicks admits his management 'forced' him to sign up to Strictly Come Dancing

Pete Wicks has admitted he took some persuading to sign up to the new series of Strictly Come Dancing.

Confessing he wasn't a fan of the show, the former TOWIE star, 35, was begged to sign up for the BBC One show by his manager and close pal Sam Thompson.

Sam's girlfriend Zara McDermott appeared in the BBC series last year before reports emerged that she was  'hit and kicked' during rehearsals by now axed professional Graziano Di Prima. 

Pete told Sam on their Staying Relevant podcast about his own stint on the show: 'It's the last thing I think anyone would ever think I would do. I've never thought about doing it. I've never really watched Strictly.'

He continued: 'You do like a taster day where I had to see how I got on for an hour with one of the pros. 

'And I am going to be honest with you, I went because I was semi-forced by my management and Sam and anyone else obsessed with Strictly.'

'And I did the taster and I f****** loved it. I genuinely loved it.'

While he is now enjoying training, he added that he regrets giving the costume department free reign.

'You also see like the costume team and they discuss what you like wearing, what you're comfortable in and how far you'd like to go with it,' Pete explained. 

'I spoke to my management beforehand and they said to me, "In for a penny, in for a pound." So the costume lady was like, "We're gonna have some fun." I instantly regretted saying that.'

Pete is seemingly nervous about what people will think of him as he takes to the dancefloor in front of millions of viewers.

He concluded: 'So many people are gonna watch, but they're people who don't know. They're gonna f****** hate me.'

Fans have furiously slammed this year's lineup as 'the worst to ever exist'. The BBC show is currently embroiled in controversy over how the professional dancers teach the celebs, with multiple accusations emerging of bullying and abusive behaviour.

It's also been reported that the recent scandals that have engulfed the show may have put off some female stars from taking part.

Zara McDermott has already given her verdict on close pal Pete's new look ahead of his debut on Strictly.

The former Love Island star, 27, appeared in the BBC series last year before reports emerged that she was 'hit and kicked' during rehearsals by now axed professional Graziano Di Prima. 

In a fun clip shared to the show's offical Instagram page Pete, 36, slipped into a plunging floral suit and sparkly trousers. 

The caption read: 'Your Strictly countdown is on! There are only 15 days till Pete puts the tan in Tango! 

Zara, who's in a relationship with Pete's pal Sam Thompson, commented: 'The sequins really suit you.'

Earlier this month Zara broke her silence after it was confirmed Pete has signed up for the show's latest series.

His appearance surprise to some viewers, given his friendship with Zara, and her boyfriend Sam, following her negative experience.  

However, sharing the news to Instagram, the documentary maker threw her support behind Pete saying it 'made her so happy.'

Re-posting the official announcement, Zara wrote: 'I've never been so excited. Love you.' 

In a comment, she added: 'This makes me so happy. You’re going to have the best time. I am so proud of you. I cannot wait to see you in some sparkles and maybe even some hot pants.'

Sam also shared: 'No words. So proud of you... the content we are going to make that you don't even know about yet.'

Despite their close-knit friendship, he has landed a spot on the Strictly line-up amid shocking reports Zara performed on the show with a 'fractured' leg following an injury in training and needed painkillers to get through ten-hour rehearsals. 

The latest revelation comes after professional dancer Graziano, 30, admitted to kicking Zara during their sessions, causing him to be sacked from the BBC series.

It follows claims his abusive behaviour was caught on video, in clips Zara stated were 'incredibly distressing to watch.'

A source told MailOnline: 'Zara is so happy for Pete landing the Strictly gig.

'Her experience on the show was so individual – she hopes no one will go through the same again.'

They added: 'She knows that Pete will have an amazing time and could even impress the judges, he's incredibly hardworking and a good person, and will thrive in the environment, which can be intense, but he performs best when he's challenged and under pressure.

'Zara doesn't want anything that happened to her to taint his Strictly journey and backs Pete even if it is a bit close to home.'

Pete joined Sam in the Strictly studio audience last year and together they wore patterned shirts embellished with Zara's face to show their support.  

They posed for photographs alongside Zara and Graziano, who has since fled to his native Sicily in the wake of his Strictly axing.