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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Zara Woodcock

Pete Wicks admits he 'doesn't miss TOWIE' as he shares real reason for leaving

Pete Wicks admitted he doesn't miss being on The Only Way Is Essex and explained why he left the series.

The reality star was on the ITVBe series between 2015 to 2021 but has never watched a single episode of it.

He feared he would become the "Ian Beale of TOWIE", referring to Adam Woodyatt's decades-long portrayal of the character in EastEnders.

The 35-year-old recently appeared on the Not My Bagg podcast and was asked by former Gogglebox star and podcast host Joe Baggs whether he missed the show.

Pete replied: "No, I don't miss it.

"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."

Pete doesn't miss being on TOWIE (YouTube/Not My Bagg)

He continued: "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***ing do one."

Earlier this year, it was confirmed that he was leaving the ITVBe show to focus on other work commitments.

In his statement, Pete added that: "Through the ups and downs, and everything in between, one thing remains the same ... TOWIE and the people connected to the show are all family."

Pete had to defend himself over his relationship with the show and his former cast members after he was embroiled in a feud with some of his former co-stars.

He said on his own podcast, Staying Relevant, which he hosts with pal Sam Thompson: "The biggest problem I have with this, is that I haven't disrespected the show at all.

"I haven't said anything about the show.

"We've said repeatedly a number of times, we wouldn't be anywhere without TOWIE, without Made In Chelsea, we wouldn't be doing what we do."

Pete continued: "What I have disrespected is those d***heads – so actually it's not the show.

"It's not the show that I'm disrespecting, it has been for a long period of time and I owe an awful lot to the show and I love the people that make the show and the people that work behind the cameras.

"It's the people on the cameras that are a problem."

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