Copyright manchestereveningnews
Strictly Come Dancing’s Vicky Pattison has revealed her friend Pete Wicks’ ‘lovely’ advice for the BBC series. Ten years on from her triumph on I’m A Celebrity, Vicky has turned her attention to the art of dance for the 23rd season of Strictly . Vicky is working with popular professional dancer Kai Widdrington as they attempt to win the prestigious Glitterball trophy. The Geordie Shore legend is in the fortunate position of having close friends who have already taken on Strictly. Back in 2023, Vicky’s Get A Grip podcast co-host Angela Scanlon finished in sixth place with Carlos Gu on the programme. While Vicky’s other close friend Pete made it all the the semi-final of Strictly last year with Polish dancer Jowita Przystal . Vicky and Pete have been friends for a number of years, having been featured on Celebrity Gogglebox together and taken part in a huge Icelandic trek for the breast cancer awareness charity, CoppaFeel. Speaking ahead of her first live dance with Kai on Saturday (September 27), Vicky was quizzed on who her ‘biggest cheerleaders’ are. She told the BBC: “My husband, for sure. We got married last year and he’s been such a huge support. When I was nervous about saying yes to Strictly, he was the one telling me I had to do it and that I’d love it. “He’s been behind me from day one. My family and best mates have been fighting over tickets! I know Pete will come to watch,and I really hope Sara and Angela will come too. “I’ve got a great cheer squad and I’m hoping their support gets me through because I’m a very nervous egg!” She added: “I’ve been absolutely inundated with brilliant advice. I couldn’t ask for a better circle around me. Angela Scanlon told me to start soaking my feet in surgical spirits early. "Apparently, it toughens them up and helps with the pain when your trotters start hurting! So, I’ll be doing that starting from now. "She’s really competitive and takes it all so seriously in the best way. Pete, on the other hand, was a total 'fly by the seat of his pants' guy. “He couldn’t believe he made it through each week! His advice was to work hard, keep your head down, be yourself, and enjoy it. It’s honestly lovely having both of their perspectives.” According to Vicky, ‘you get fewer and fewer chances to truly push yourself and try something new’ as you get older which made her want to do Strictly. “It’s very easy to stay in your comfort zone and I’m guilty of that. I love my little routine! Strictly offers this incredible opportunity to grow whether that’s learning to dance, meeting new people, or just getting fitter. “It’s a chance to discover what you’re capable of, and I’m really grateful for that,” she noted.
