Strictly's Pete Wicks 'spat at and told dog would be killed' after 'colossal mistake'

Strictly Come Dancing star Pete Wicks has reflected on his past sexting scandal, which left him subjected to death threats and feeling like "the most hated person in the UK".

While in a relationship with Megan McKenna back in 2016, the 36-year-old sent explicit messages to another woman, who he briefly dated previously.

During a special episode of TOWIE filmed in Marbella at the time, Megan, 32, confronted Pete over the messages, in what swiftly became an explosive scene.

Recalling the moment in his new book Never Enough, Pete shared just how much that period of time impacted his life and career.

He shared that while he wasn't trying to justify what happened, "there was more happening behind the scenes that people don’t know about".

"My ex actually already knew there had been messages, and it was something we were dealing with in private.

"But when someone sold stories on the messages I’d sent, suddenly our dirty laundry was being aired for everyone to see. It all came out when we were filming in Marbella," he wrote.

After the "raw and real" episode was aired, Pete said he went from "being loved to hated overnight".

The TOWIE star swiftly found himself at the centre of death threats both online and in person, while another hater spat in his car.

"I had people shouting at me in the streets, someone spit in my car when I had the window rolled down," he recalled.

"I had people telling me to die of cancer and that I should go and kill myself. I had people sending me videos of dolls they’d made to look like me, hanging them in the street and then burning them."

Pete said during a walk with his dogs, somebody else also threatened to kill him and his dogs if they saw him again.

Such abuse was "a lot" for the reality star, who admits he also lost work from the situation before getting back on his feet again.

Now in a better place, Pete said he is still friends with Megan, who is currently expecting her first child with fiancé Ollie Burke.

Despite ongoing rumours about his love life, the Strictly Come Dancing hopeful is believed to be single.

He is currently participating on the current series with the show's 2022 winning professional Jowita Przystal.