I'm A Celebrity star Sam Thompson has left girlfriend Zara McDermott feeling a little sidelined as she has been snubbed in favour of his best mate Pete Wicks.
The former Love Islander was shocked to hear Sam call out "do it for Pete" in a trial instead of thinking of her, and now Pete has revealed that he will travel to Australia to be the first person to hug his mate when he leaves the jungle, rather than Zara.
Zara, 26, was stunned by a moment in Thursday's episode of the ITV reality show where Sam, 31, was seen digging deep during a trial by thinking of his bromance with Pete, 34 – leaving Zara asking why he wasn't keeping her in mind instead.
As Sam struggled through a trial involving being covered in feathers, he gave a shout out to his pal as he told himself "do it for Pete".
But writing on Instagram, Zara said: "Did he just say 'do it for Pete'??? What about 'do it for Zara'?"
Now, Pete has shared that he will take the coveted loved ones spot at the end of the bridge to welcome Sam out of the jungle instead of Zara and is refusing to give up his place to her.
On Friday's Lorraine, host Lorraine Kelly asked Pete: "You're going to be going out, you're going to be at the end of the bridge?"
Pete replied: "To be honest, I think ITV are sending me out there to protect Ant and Dec for when he comes out, because his obsession is real.
"I think it's the main reason he's done the show to be honest with you, just to get close to them, so I think I'm out there for protection."
Pete then jokingly snubbed Zara himself by adding: "Zara could have gone but we obviously thought Zara was still going to be in Strictly. Obviously now she could have gone, but I won't give up my place. Listen, first come, first served."
Sam and Pete were seen in the Strictly Come Dancing audience supporting Zara before her exit from the BBC show by wearing matching shirts printed with a motif of her face.
The best mates met while filming Celebs Go Dating in 2018 and co-host podcast Staying Relevant, as well as having taken part in The Circle together.
Pete admitted to Lorraine: "I really miss him. I didn't think I would, because he really annoys me, but what I've realised is that I do need that in my life and he's my brother and I do miss him."
Asked about Sam's blossoming friendship with JLS star Marvin Humes in I'm A Celeb, Pete said: "I'll be honest with you Lorraine, that's a holiday romance. It won't last. He knows which side his bread is buttered."
The former TOWIE star backed his Made In Chelsea pal to win and said that he just needs to relax a bit more.
He said: "The thing is with Sam when you first meet him, I always say he's a grower not a shower. Eventually, you learn to love him. At the beginning, it's quite annoying.
"But that's part of his personality and that's part of who he is because he just wants everyone to like him and he just wants everyone to smile so he tries really hard and actually if he was more himself, then people would love him anyway because he's just the best guy."
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