Peter Andre brought a dose of pop nostalgia to the O2 Arena as he joined Sam Thompson and Pete Wicks for a spectacular one-night-only live show of their hit podcast Staying Relevant.
The singer, 52, had 20,000 fans on their feet as he performed debut single Drive Me Crazy and his chart-topping anthem Mysterious Girl, in what proved to be one of many surprise moments during the sold-out event. Thompson couldn’t resist getting in on the act, flashing his abs as he cheekily re-enacted Andre’s trademark moves — much to the Aussie star’s amusement.
The night was full of headline-making moments. Wicks performed a sultry dance routine with Strictly Come Dancing professional Jowita Przystal — complete with several passionate kisses — before sources confirmed the pair are now dating. Fans erupted at the routine, which the couple never got the chance to showcase on Strictly itself.
Elsewhere, Thompson delivered his trademark chaos. The I’m A Celebrity winner lived out his Harry Potter dreams by flying across the O2 stage on a broomstick to the theme music, complete with pyrotechnics. At one point it even looked as though the sparks might catch his broom — though thankfully they didn’t. He also ticked off the final challenge in what he dubbed his “Magnificent Seven” Guinness World Record attempts — catching the most balls in a Velcro suit in one minute, all while suspended two metres in the air.
The pair’s celebrity friends were out in force, including Marvin and Rochelle Humes, Vicky Pattison and husband Ercan Ramadan, Inbetweeners star James Buckley and wife Clair, and ex-Love Islander Helena Ford. Grassroots football team Great Barr United also took to the stage after landing sponsorship from the podcast.
“We’ve got plans to make Great Barr United the biggest Sunday league football team in the country,” Wicks said after inking the deal — though their first match of the season last week ended in a 6-0 defeat.
Fans played their part too. Audience members were encouraged to dress up in costumes beginning with the letters “S” and “P”, resulting in Smurfs, pirates and even giant penises filling the arena, alongside supporters waving Sam and Pete masks and homemade signs. The Standard was in the audience and saw the crowd embrace every joke and spectacle.
There was also a One Direction gag at Thompson’s expense, when the Staying Relevant band broke into Steal My Girl as if he hadn’t been warned. Playing along, Thompson signalled for them to stop before Wicks delivered the punchline: “I thought it was going in a different direction,” a cheeky nod to Thompson’s ex Zara McDermott now dating Louis Tomlinson. Thompson later leaned into the gag, making quips about being “single and ready to mingle.”
And in a fittingly London touch, the All On The Board duo dedicated one of their trademark TfL service boards at North Greenwich to the hosts, renaming Tube stops “Sammersmith” and “North Greenwicks” in their honour.
The O2 show comes after a year in which Staying Relevant has gone from cult hit to mainstream staple. The podcast picked up a TRIC Award for Best Podcast earlier this year, while Thompson and Wicks fronted the National Television Awards red carpet earlier this month. They will release their first book Staying Relevant on October 9, before teaming up with GK Barry to host the Pride of Britain red carpet towards the end of the month.
