Pete Wicks' best pal Vicky Pattison would love it if he was dating 'absolutely gorgeous' Maura Higgins

Pete Wicks' best pal Vicky Pattison would love it if the rumours were true that he is dating "absolutely gorgeous" Maura Higgins.

The 'Strictly Come Dancing' star - who shot to fame on 'The Only Way is Essex' - has been spotted a handful of times hanging out with the 'Love Island' star, packing on the PDA, but he has remained coy about whether they are an item.

The 36-year-old star has also been linked to his professional dance partner on 'Strictly', Jowita Przystal, but has denied they are anything more than friends.

Even his close friend, former 'Geordie Shore' star Vicky, 36, has admitted she is "genuinely in the dark" about who he's dating.

She told The Sun: "You know, he tells me absolutely nothing about his love life. He stopped doing that a long time ago.

"Probably for the best. I'm such a nosy cow, so I know nothing about what's going on.

"Maura's absolutely gorgeous and like, if they were together, they would absolutely have my seal of approval, he knows that for sure.

"I’m not even pleading ignorance on this one. I'm genuinely in the dark."

Maura, 33, is among the celebrities set to enter the 'I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!' jungle this weekend and Vicky - who won the survival show in 2015 and went on to co-present 'I'm a Celebrity: Extra Camp' in 2016 - believes she will go far as she's "tough as nails".

She said: "I think she'll be incredible to watch. I actually think the bugs should be scared of her, she’s a weapon. I think Maura is tough as nails."

Shutting down romance rumours about him and Jowita, 30, Pete recently told 'This Morning': "It's not a love bubble unfortunately, she's one of the most amazing people I've ever met, genuinely, not just in the dancing side of things but outside of that and I think that helps us with the whole dancing thing."