Pete Wicks was photographed appearing close to a mystery woman in the smoking area at the National Television Awards at the O2 in London on Wednesday evening.
The 36-year-old television personality was seen with his arm around a brunette as the pair chatted outside the venue, Daily Mail reported. The images show the woman wearing a navy gown and heels. Daily Mail said it had contacted Wicks’s representatives for comment.
Wicks’s public appearance comes after he admitted on the Staying Relevant podcast earlier this year that he was "in love" with a new, unnamed woman six months after his split from Maura Higgins. On the episode, he was given a lie detector test by friend and co-host Sam Thompson, who asked whether he was in love with someone.
Wicks and Thompson were the red-carpet hosts for this year’s NTAs. According to reports, Wicks avoided the official afterparty and left the event with friend Luke Hamnett, which sources said was to avoid a possible encounter with his ex, Higgins.
Thompson was also photographed having a brief reunion with his former partner Samie Elishi during the awards. The pair were seen smoking and chatting outside after the ceremony; Elishi was at the event representing Love Island, which had been nominated in the reality TV category. Reports noted Thompson and Elishi had previously ended a short relationship in June but have remained on amicable terms.
Wicks has appeared on a number of reality and entertainment shows since rising to fame on The Only Way Is Essex, including Celebrity MasterChef, Celebs Go Dating and Strictly Come Dancing. Thompson first became known on Made in Chelsea and has since taken part in programmes such as Celebs Go Dating and Celebrity Big Brother; he also recently helped raise funds for UNICEF through a Match Ball Mission.
The National Television Awards, which celebrate achievements in British television, named I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! as the winner in the reality competition category. Other winners announced at the ceremony included Adolescence in the new drama category and Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel in the quiz show category, among titles recognised across drama, comedy and factual entertainment.
Photographs and on-the-night reports provided the basis for details of Wicks’s interactions at the NTAs. Daily Mail was listed as the reporting outlet and its representatives were contacted for comment on the sighting.