Pete Wicks Reveals 'Risky' Decision to Work With Sam Thompson's Family on Podcast Venture
Reality television star Pete Wicks has openly discussed the significant risks involved in collaborating with best friend Sam Thompson's family members for a new podcast business venture. The longtime friends, who first met on Celebs Go Dating in 2017, have expanded their successful Staying Relevant podcast into a full production company that recently acquired the He Said, She Said podcast hosted by Sam's sister Louise Thompson and her fiancé Ryan Libbey.
Navigating Business and Family Boundaries
In a candid interview, Wicks explained that bringing family members into business operations presented genuine concerns about potential conflicts of interest and long-term relationship complications. 'Obviously I've known Louise and Ryan for some time and it's a bit of a risk taking on kind of family members into the business side of stuff,' Wicks admitted. 'There's obviously a slight conflict of interest when you're working with family.'
The eight-year friendship between Wicks and Thompson has necessitated careful boundary management. To prevent business matters from damaging personal relationships, Wicks has assumed primary responsibility for working with Louise and Ryan, creating a deliberate separation between Thompson's family connections and business operations.
Strategic Separation of Roles
Thompson emphasized the wisdom of this arrangement, noting that it prevents potential conflicts from affecting his family relationships. 'Pete actually is pretty much fully in charge of that sector,' Thompson explained. 'It means I'm not involved when Louise is saying anything - she goes straight to Pete. So there's never a crossover.'
Wicks elaborated on the importance of clear distinctions between professional and personal spheres, particularly given how intertwined their lives have become. 'To make clear definitions between what is kind of work and business and pleasure is crucial,' he stated. 'Once you have that, you can enjoy both. When that kind of blurs, it becomes quite difficult.'
Unexpected Family Developments
In a lighter development, Wicks shared his humorous reaction to Louise Thompson's podcast announcement that she planned to ask him to become godfather to her four-year-old son Leo. 'On the plus side, Leo is now my favourite Thompson,' Wicks joked. 'I've got more in common with Leo.'
Despite the business risks, Wicks expressed appreciation for how Sam's family has always made him feel included. 'All of Sam's family have always made me feel like part of the family,' he said warmly.
From Friendship to Business Empire
The duo's podcast journey began in 2022 with Staying Relevant, which has since evolved into Staying Relevant Productions. What started as a weekly opportunity for the friends to spend time together has grown into a significant business enterprise that now includes:
- Multiple podcast acquisitions
- Live tours including a sold-out show at London's O2 Arena
- Book deals and documentary projects
- Commercial partnerships
Wicks emphasized that their business success was never the original intention. 'The reason we ended up doing the podcast was just because we wanted to do something together,' he explained. 'Selfishly, the podcast started out as just something for us. It was purely based on genuine friendship.'
Holiday Partnership and Personal Dilemmas
The pair have recently partnered with travel company TUI to help listeners navigate holiday planning dilemmas, drawing from their own contrasting vacation preferences. Their upcoming trip to Cyprus has already revealed their different approaches to ideal holidays.
'Sam likes to go sightseeing,' Wicks revealed. 'He wants to see all the ancient Greek temples. I am the beach and cocktail person.'
Thompson enthusiastically confirmed his adventurous travel style: 'I want to be like Indiana Jones, archaeologist vibe, right? And then I want to have a go on the golf course as well.'
Continued Success and Future Plans
Despite their sold-out O2 Arena show in September, Wicks admitted he still hasn't fully processed the achievement due to the planning challenges they overcame. The duo continues to balance their reality television backgrounds with their growing business empire, maintaining that their friendship remains the foundation of their success.
'We're so lucky and fortunate to be able to do this,' Thompson reflected. 'It is quite nice to show people a different side of us. We do take ourselves a little bit more seriously when it comes to the business side.'
Their story demonstrates how personal relationships can successfully transition into business partnerships when managed with clear boundaries and mutual respect, though not without acknowledging the inherent risks involved when family becomes part of the equation.
