PETE WICKS – RECRUIT NUMBER 2
Category: Press Pack ArticleAge 33
From: Essex
Occupation: Reality TV Star
Pete, as a reality tv star, believes the public have a misconception of him. Beneath the jokey exterior, he struggles with confidence, finding it hard to see his value and find his purpose. He confesses he finds it challenging to talk about his emotions but he hopes his participation in Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins may allow him to tackle some of his inner demons and show the public his true self.
Why did you want to take on SAS Who Dares Wins?
I've done TV for eight years and there have only ever been two shows that I really wanted to do. One was Bear Grylls, which I did. And the other one was SAS: Who Dares Wins, purely because it's something that regardless of it being a TV show I'd wanted to do anyway because when would you get an opportunity to do something like that? It's just so different to anything I've done before. I’m fortunate to have a very pampered life, so to get the chance to test what you're truly made of was an opportunity I just couldn’t turn down.
Did you feel like you had anything to prove?
Yeah, more so to myself than anything. I hate failing at anything and because it's so different to anything I've done before. For me, the whole experience was about whether or not I was able to get through it. It was more about proving to myself, I think, whether or not it's something that I could do because you see things on TV and I know a lot of people who have done it in previous years. A lot of my friends have done it and they've always said how tough it is and you think, “oh well is it?” So yes, I just wanted to see what it was all about.
Did you turn to anybody for advice before you went out there?
Yeah. I spoke to Vicky Pattison, Sam Thompson and James Cracknell and they all said it is really, really tough!
What tips did they give you?
Crackers probably gave me the best advice, actually. I did Bear Grylls with him, we are really close, and he said to me, because he knows I’m competitive, "It's not about winning everything. Don't be last and do it at your own pace and know your own limits." That was probably the best advice anyone gave me.
Did you do any preparation before you went out there?
For me the fitness was probably the hardest bit because I'm not the fittest guy in the world. I haven't really been to a gym in seven years. So I did a bit, but I was really busy working up to it so it was quite hard for me to properly get into it. But fitness wise, I think it was obviously fucking super, super tough. It was the challenges that were the bits that I was most excited about doing and you can't prepare for them. I did ask my mates whether they’d kidnap me but no one seemed up for it.
What was your biggest fear before you started?
I'm a bit weird, I don't really have a lot of fear when it comes to things like heights, water and everything else. I think my biggest fear is failing, that was the thing for me. I think for me the biggest fear for me was failing it.
What did you think of the other celebs on the show?
They were great people and I think one of the nice things about this year's group is how close we all were. There wasn't really any friction between anyone. Everyone got on really well so I think that really helped and it probably shows throughout the show as well because there was a lot of support for everyone. We didn't want anyone to leave and we were a really close knit group. I think we were really lucky that we had such a good group of people.
Did it make it quite competitive having so many sports stars?
No, probably because actually it was more about us as a team. We had a really nice team work ethic and a camaraderie between all of us. There were some great people, Olympians and whatever else who drove the rest of us on. The whole point of the show is, and this is what people don't sometimes see, is that you're competing with yourself. Everyone's there for different reasons, and actually it's not about beating everyone else, it's about seeing what you can do.
How did you feel about the Directing Staff before you started the course?
I didn't overthink it because authority is not necessarily my strong point. It was the same with school, I don't particularly like being told what to do, but it's a completely different environment and you're learning from people and experiencing things and listening to people who have been there, who have done it, so instantly, regardless, you give them that respect. I think it's amazing how quickly we all fell in line. Straight away from day one, it's just that respect for them. You can't help but respect guys like that.
What was it like when they were screaming at you?
I thought I would deal with it a lot worse than I did, but that's because the people who are shouting are doing it for the right reasons. I think instantly, rather than getting the hump when people shout, you actually listen. I dealt with it a lot better than I thought I would. I think that comes with age as well. I'm a little bit older now and I think you just instantly respect those guys.
What do you think that you brought to the group?
I'm a fairly upbeat person. I think I was probably a bit of a clown and I was probably the one people would go to. I was quite close with a few of them. I was the one who people could rely on to talk to and I think that's really important sometimes when you have a little team spirit going on.
Who would you say you bonded with the most?
I bonded with everyone but there were certain people who I absolutely love. Shannon I absolutely love - she was great, we were quite close throughout the whole thing. Same with Ashley and Jen - I simply adore those two. Calum and a lot of them I knew already, so we already had a bond and enjoyed some little chats together. But everyone was really, really close.