Former Love Island star Maura Higgins has said she “can’t wait” to see Pete Wicks after being eliminated from I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!
The 34-year-old said she was “proud” of her fellow reality TV star’s journey on Strictly Come Dancing, and appeared to confirm a romance with him on ITV’s This Morning, when she joked that she would let presenter Alison Hammond be a bridesmaid at their wedding.
Higgins said: “You do forget about the cameras, and I do like to keep things private, but let’s be real, I said it. I can’t remember saying it, but I said the words, ‘I miss him’.
I didn't know if he was still in Strictly and I'm so proud of him
“I do miss him, like I missed all my friends and family.
“Honestly, he’s been so supportive, honestly. I didn’t know if he was still in Strictly and I’m so proud of him, he’s proud of me, and I can’t wait to see him when I get back.”
The pair have been romantically linked for a while, and Wicks recently denied rumours of a romance between him and his Strictly professional dance partner Jowita Przystal, saying: “We have great chemistry because we’ve become such good friends.”
During her time on I’m A Celebrity, Higgins spoke about “missing” an unnamed man she had been “seeing since July”, remarking “he’s not an asshole”.
The Irish star added that she had also missed her mother during her time on I’m A Celebrity.
Higgins added: “It was hard being away from mammy. The one thing I really wanted to do was face my fears, and it was one of those shows that I always wanted to do at some point of my life, and I just never knew when would be the right time, and this year was right.
“I’m so glad I’ve done it now, because the campmates and everyone just together, we just had such a family.
“And I faced my fear of spiders, and I hate every type of bug, but spiders, I don’t know how I did it, I really don’t.
“But I swore to myself before going in there, I will not say ‘I’m a celebrity, get me out of here’, and I’m so glad those words did not come out of my mouth.”
The star, born in Ballymahon, Co Longford, also said there had been no falling-outs in the camp.
She continued: “Honestly, I didn’t see grumpiness from anyone if I’m being totally honest.
“Everyone just pulled together as a team, like we really just encouraged one another, it’s very rare to have such a big group of people and for everyone to get on so well.
“And the little moments that you would have seen, because I haven’t seen it, and I haven’t seen the edit or anything, it’s all just tongue-in-cheek. I think I heard something about Jane with the washing up, she wasn’t even bothered, that woman worked so hard in there.”
Higgins, who was eliminated on Thursday along with former boxing champion Barry McGuigan, said she wanted her “friend for life”, former Communards member Reverend Richard Coles, to win I’m A Celebrity, but added: “Everyone in there is a winner.”
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! continues on ITV1 at 9pm on Friday.
