Pete Wicks is reportedly frustrated that his close friendship with Olivia Attwood has sparked romance rumours, with a source claiming he fears it could damage their bond. The former TOWIE star, 36, was pictured with his arms around the married TV personality during a recent trip to Ibiza, leading to speculation about the nature of their relationship.
According to a source, Pete is tired of his playboy image causing people to misinterpret his friendships. “Pete is sick of being unable to have close friends without it being misconstrued. He always has this problem of people thinking the worst,” the source said, insisting the pair are just good friends.
The photos from a boat trip showed Pete with his arms around Olivia, 34, as she lay on him. This reportedly left Olivia’s husband, footballer Bradley Dack, “livid” after teammates shared the images in a WhatsApp group. A source said Dack is “fuming” but trusts his wife, though he is unhappy with the situation.
Olivia clapped back at concerned fans on social media, telling them to “worry about your own” marriage. She and Pete have been friends since meeting on TOWIE in 2019 and now co-host a radio show together, The Sunday Roast, on Kiss FM.
Pete has previously spoken about valuing his female friendships, saying, “A friend is a friend and the idea that men and women can’t be friends is a load of b******s.” He counts Olivia and Vicky Pattison among his closest friends. Despite the drama, the duo have brushed off the speculation, with Pete describing their Ibiza trip as “amazing” and Olivia joking it was “very feral.”
However, the source claims Pete is worried the furore could jeopardise his friendship with Olivia. “Pete isn’t the playboy people are making him out to be... He doesn’t want to lose their friendship over this because they get along so well and that means so much to him,” the source added.
