Strictly's Pete Wicks and Maura Higgins confirm romance with steamy kiss at Pride of Britain party

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Maura Higgins and Pete Wicks made their relationship official at the Pride of Britain afterparty. The couple were spotted sharing a sweet kiss in the Red Bar of London's Grosvenor House Hotel, where they partied until 1am.

Despite previously downplaying rumours about their relationship, the pair made it clear to party-goers that they were indeed a couple as they shared a tender moment in a corner before Maura planted a kiss on Pete's nose, followed by a lip-locking session, the Mirror reports.

The duo joins a long list of celebrities who have found love at the ceremony, including Christine and Frank Lampard, who met at the 2009 ceremony and are now happily married with two children. Love Island's Maura, 33, and TOWIE's Pete, 36, were first seen sharing a kiss in August, outside the Broadwick hotel in Soho.

However, they've been teasing the gossip mill, with Maura even sporting a T-shirt featuring the photograph and a slogan that read: "We can't be friends."

Maura was seen supporting Pete and his friend Sam Thompson as they recorded their Staying Relevant podcast live at Hammersmith Apollo. Earlier this week, they shared a TikTok video of them practising dance moves together, as Pete continues his journey on Strictly Come Dancing.

Their romance seems to have heated up, as evidenced by their affectionate display at the ceremony, despite both having previously played down their relationship. Pete Wicks found himself under the spotlight when Olivia Attwood, a mutual friend, probed him about his dating life and specifically Maura Higgins.

Pete responded with a coy: "Me and Maura have known each other for a long time." At the Pride of Britain party, Maura was seen asking Strictly's Kai Widdrington to assist her with a cramp as the celebrations wound down.

Meanwhile, on Saturday's Strictly, Pete and his dance partner Jowita Przystal performed a rumba to "Don't Look Back In Anger" which featured intimate face-to-face moments and several lifts. Judge Craig Revel Horwood deemed the lifts "totally illegal" and mentioned they could lead to "disqualification" in a competition setting, but he commended Wicks for his effort in the dance, resulting in a score of 22 points from the judges.

During the Pride of Britain ceremony, Pete and Sam Thompson, from Made In Chelsea, were seen rallying celebrities to support Child of Courage winner Florrie Bark's charity, BeMoreFab. Florrie's energetic approach had everyone laughing as she urged: "Get all of them! Round them up! Get Duncan Ballantyne! Before he hides."

Impressed by her spirit, the Dragon donated £30,000 to her cause, contributing to the over £100,000 raised that evening from the generous attendees.

Joel Dommett, the host of Masked Singer, and Oti Mabuse from Strictly, who presented Florrie with her Child of Courage award, said to her: "You are one of the most inspirational people I've ever met. You light up every room."

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