I’m A Celeb star Maura Higgins’ mum sends strict warning to Pete Wicks and reveals if she’s watching him on Strictly
MAURA Higgins’s mum is yet to meet her lover Pete Wicks – but she does have some advice for him.
The Irish star’s beloved “Mammy” Sharon said: “Don’t cross Maura!”
Former Love Islander Maura, 34, revealed she had been seeing Strictly hunk Pete, 36, before entering the I’m A Celeb jungle.
She insists she is single but says she has been missing the long-haired lothario while in Australia.
Earlier in the series, Maura told her campmates that she once scrubbed a toilet with her ex’s toothbrush after she found out he had been cheating.
Sharon, 55, told The Sun: “I cannot believe she told that story on national TV.
“But you know something? That just shows you, anyone who’s to date her – watch out: don’t cross Maura!”
She added of Pete: “I don’t know him. I only know what she has told me, which is that she’s single. She’s just getting on with it.
“I suppose being single, she’s a young woman, she’s going to date. She obviously doesn’t want anything serious yet, so I don’t know.
“I never watch Strictly. I’ve never had interest in it. It’s not a show I’ve ever watched, so I’m not going to start now.”
After starring on Love Island in 2019, Maura gained a reputation for her potty mouth and speaking her mind.
And Sharon reckons her fiery daughter is a chip off the old block.
She said: “I’ve always brought my children up to stand up for themselves. You have to in this life.
“Maura has always listened to that end of things with me.
“Because you cannot go about and have people insult you.
“If there’s anything somebody says that is inappropriate, you’re entitled to speak up and tell them, ‘No, you cannot do that’.
“I like that she can stand up for herself.
“But also the other side of Maura is, if she has an issue with somebody, she’ll tell them.
“She doesn’t hold grudges. If it’s ironed out, it’s forgotten about.”
Sharon said she is pleased to see her show her “vulnerable” side by overcoming her fears.
She also said she has been enjoying watching Maura bond with other campmates.
Asked about her friendship with Reverend Richard Coles – with whom she was placed in the Jungle Junkyard – Sharon said: “Maura gets on with everybody.
“That was the pinnacle for me – I loved the banter between the two of them. It had me in stitches, I loved it.
“Maura loves meeting new people, and anybody she does meet, they’re friends for life. That’s the way she is.
“Maura is Maura. She has a potty mouth, but she’s funny. I think with Maura, it’s just her character.
“She’s fun-loving and she’s a bubbly girl. She’s always making any situation bright somehow by cracking jokes and having fun.”
I'm A Celebrity 2024
i'm A Celebrity is back for its 24th series, with a batch of famous faces living in the Aussie jungle. The Sun's Jake Penkethman takes a look at the stars on the show this year..
Coleen Rooney – Arguably the most famous name in the camp, the leading WAG, known for her marriage to Wayne Rooney, has made a grand return to TV as she looks to put the Wagatha Christie scandal behind her. The Sun revealed the mum-of-four had bagged an eye-watering deal worth over £1.5million to be on the show this year making her the highest-paid contestant ever.
Tulisa – The popstar and former X Factor judge has made her triumphant TV comeback by signing up to this year’s I’m A Celeb after shunning TV shows for many years. Known for being a member of the trio, N-Dubz, Tulisa became a household name back in 2011 when she signed on to replace Cheryl on ITV show The X Factor in a multi-million pound deal.
Alan Halsall – The actor, known for playing the long-running role of Tyrone Dobbs on ITV soap opera Coronation Street, was originally signed up to head Down Under last year but an operation threw his scheduled appearance off-course. Now he has become the latest Corrie star to win over both the viewers and his fellow celebrities.
Melvin Odoom – The Radio DJ has become a regular face on TV screens after rising to fame with presenting roles on Kiss FM, BBC Radio 1 and 4Music. Melvin has already been for a spin on the Strictly dancefloor and co-hosted The Xtra Factor with Rochelle Humes in 2015 but now he is facing up to his biggest challenge yet – the Aussie jungle.
GK Barry – The UK’s biggest social media personality, GK, whose real name is Grace Keeling, has transformed her TikTok stardom into a lucrative career. Aside from her popular social media channels, she hosts the weekly podcast, Saving Grace, and regularly appears on ITV talk show, Loose Women. She has even gone on to endorse popular brands such as PrettyLittleThing, KFC and Ann Summers.
Dean McCullough – A rising star amongst this year’s bunch of celebs, Dean first achieved notability through his radio appearances on Gaydio and BBC Radio 1. He was chosen to join the BBC station permanently in 2021 and has featured prominently ever since. He has enjoyed a crossover to ITV over the past year thanks to his guest slots on Big Brother spin-off show, Late & Live.
Oti Mabuse – The pro dancer has signed up to her latest TV show after making her way through the biggest programmes on the box. She originally found fame on Strictly Come Dancing but has since branched out into the world of TV judging with appearances on former BBC show The Greatest Dancer as well as her current role on ITV’s Dancing On Ice.
Danny Jones – The McFly star was drafted into the programme last minute as a replacement for Tommy Fury. Danny is the second member of McFly to enter the jungle, after Dougie Poynter won the show in 2011. He is also considered a rising star on ITV as he’s now one of the mentors on their Saturday night talent show, The Voice, along with bandmate Tom Fletcher.
Jane Moore – The Loose Women star and The Sun columnist is braving the creepy crawlies this year. The star is ready for a new challenge – having recently split from her husband. It will be Jane’s first foray into reality TV with the telly favourite having always said no to reality shows in the past.
Barry McGuigan – Former pro boxer Barry is the latest fighting champ to head Down Under following in the footsteps of Tony Bellew and Amir Khan. It comes after a tough few years for Irish star Barry, who lost his daughter Danika to bowel cancer. He told The Late Late Show in 2021: “She was such an intrinsic part of the family that every day we ache.”
Maura Higgins – The Irish TV beauty first found fame on Love Island where she found a brief connection with dancer Curtis Pritchard. Since then, she has competed on Dancing On Ice as well as hosting the Irish version of the beauty contest, Glow Up. Since last year, she has been working on building up her career in the US by being the social media correspondent and host of Aftersun to accompany Love Island USA. She even guest hosted an episode of the spin-off, Love Island Games, in place of Maya Jama last year.
Rev. Richard Coles – Former BBC radio host the Rev Richard Coles is a late arrival on I’m A Celebrity, and he’s ready to spill the beans on his former employer. The former Communards and Strictly star, said the BBC did not know its a**e from its elbow last year. An insider said: “Rev Coles will have a variety of tales to tell from his wild days as a pop star in the Eighties, through to performing on Strictly and his later life as a man of the cloth.”