Strictly star Pete Wicks opens up on 'hardest time' of his life after losing best friend

Pete Wicks has revealed that dealing with the death of his beloved nan Doreen in 2022 is "the hardest thing" he's ever had to face.

The reality TV star, 36, opened up about his deep bond with his grandmother in his new memoir, Never Enough. In a chapter dedicated to her, Pete celebrated their close relationship, from her getting a tattoo in his honour to being his biggest supporter during his turbulent teenage years.

In a moving account, the Strictly Come Dancing hopeful emotionally detailed Doreen's declining health and the heart-wrenching day he learnt of her decision to stop further treatment due to pain.

"The day she died, I had been in London seeing friends. Mum called me and told me I needed to get to the hospital quickly," he wrote, according to the Manchester Evening News, reports Birmingham Live.

Confronted with the harsh reality of his nan's choice, Pete faced the "hardest thing" in his life as he sat by her side during her final hours. "Mum and I sat either side of her, holding each hand," he recalled. "I can remember the last words she said to me as if it were yesterday: 'You're my soulmate'."

Pete announced his nan's passing on his Instagram page, which led to an outpouring of condolences. In his heartfelt tribute, he wrote: "I have been blessed to have you as my nan but more importantly to have you as my best friend. The strength, resilience, love, empathy and compassion you have shown throughout your life is a lesson to us all and without doubt the only good parts of me come from you."

In his book, Pete also revealed some of his grandmother's poignant last words in his book: "I'm hanging on until you're happy', she had said." He added: "And I didn't really manage to get my s**t together before she died. It's one of my biggest regrets."

Pete's grandmother's memory played a part in his decision to join the current season of Strictly Come Dancing, where he is paired with professional dancer Jowita Przysta.

The duo received 17 out of 40 points for their Paso Doble performance last weekend and will perform an American Smooth to I Had Some Help by Post Malone and Morgan Wallen this week.

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