Strictly's Pete Wicks and Jowita Przystal finally confirm romance with steamy on-stage kiss

Pete Wicks and Jowita Przystal have delighted fans by finally confirming they are an item in a very public display of affection.

Strictly Come Dancing pair Pete, 36, and Jowita, 31, performed a dance they had been saving for the BBC show's final – which they narrowly missed out on – at London's O2 Arena last night, as part of a special live show for Pete and pal Sam Thompson's Staying Relevant podcast.

Pete and dancer Jowita performed a steamy dance to the track Way Down We Go by KALEO, which begun with Jowita suspended in the air by performing silks before dropping into Pete's arms. The pair then perform the steamy routine and are seen sharing a kiss three times during the performance, sending the audience into waves of cheers.

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Clips of the moment have been shared on TikTok and fans have labelled the moment a 'hard launch' of Pete and Jowita's romance in the comments section of the podcast's recent post.

The post, shared by the Staying Relevant podcast on Instagram, shows Sam and Pete standing on the stage at the O2, hugging and waving to the packed-out crowd. Text over the clip reads: "From two guys that didn't know each other to two best mates headlining the O2".

While fans congratulated the pair in the comments, many couldn't help but ask about Pete's newly confirmed romance. One asked: "Was that like a hard launch?"

"Hard launch for Pete and Jowita," a second said while a third wrote: "You & jowita" with a heart eye emoji.

Former The Only Way Is Essex star Pete and Jowita first met when they were paired together for last year's series of Strictly, while Pete was dating Maura Higgins, but it has been reported that things didn't turn romantic until recently, months after Pete's split from Maura.

A source claimed to the Daily Mail: "Pete and Jowita are now an item, they've been dating for a few weeks.

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"They kept things professional on Strictly, there was no crossover with Maura.

"But once Pete was single they grew close again and recently the relationship has blossomed into something more."

Rumours of a romance started as Pete posted a gushing tribute to Jowita on her birthday in August. He shared a series of photos from their time on Strictly together, alongside some cosy selfies and wrote in the caption: "It was never about dancing…it was about the person. Happy birthday @jowitaprzystal - I am so blessed and grateful to have you in my life. My pocket rocket" followed by a black heart emoji.

Fans took to the comments to speculate over their romance as one wrote: "This is 1000% who he’s in love with", whiel another said: "So i guess its her, who's pete in love with. He did admit to staying relevant podcast". And a third added: "Would love it if Pete and Jowita were together, they suit each other so much".

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