I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! contestant and former Love Island star, Maura Higgins made a splash as a latecomer to the jungle, joining the likes of WAG Coleen Rooney, McFly’s Danny Jones, singer Tulisa Contostavlos, and dancer Oti Mabuse.
Having settled into camp life, Maura opened up about her current romantic situation before her Australian adventure, amidst whispers that she was seeing Strictly Come Dancing star Pete Wicks. The conversation was sparked by BBC Radio 1’s Dean McCullough, who shared his own dating story, mentioning he’s been with someone since July without putting a label on it yet.
During a candid chat, Oti Mabuse enquired about Maura’s relationship status. The 34-year-old revealed: “I am single, but I was seeing someone before I came in, so I’m not in a relationship.”
The Reverend Richard Coles delved deeper, questioning: “Was it exclusive? Or if I’ve put you on the spot, I’m sorry!”
Maura admitted uncertainty about the exclusivity of her pre-jungle romance and hinted that the mystery man was a familiar face to her campmates, reports the Express.
Dean couldn’t resist probing further, asking: “So recently since you’ve been in here then have you gone ‘oh my god I miss him’?”
To which Maura responded affirmatively, “Yeah.”
Speculation had been rife that Maura was romantically linked with Pete Wicks prior to her departure for Australia.
The pair has been snapped getting cosy and sharing kisses on multiple occasions, although Maura claimed her single status before appearing on the show. Pete inadvertently added fuel to the fire by posting an Instagram message urging his followers to support Maura this week.
Amidst ongoing speculation, Maura’s best mate Danika O’Connor has set the record straight to OK! Magazine, asserting that the two TV personalities are purely platonic pals.
She stated: “They’re just really good friends. Pete is supporting Maura in the jungle and she was supporting him on Strictly. It just shows what a good friend she is. She’ll be a good friend no matter what.”
Nevertheless, Maura’s revelations to her fellow campmates might suggest to viewers she’s referring to Pete.
Further into the conversation, Maura confided that despite previous relationships, she’s not sure she has ever truly fallen in love, though her latest encounter felt unique, noting “[…] he’s not an a**hole.”
Catch the next episode of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! tomorrow at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.