Maura Higgins and Pete Wicks confirm romance with a kiss at celeb afterparty

Maura Higgins and Pete Wicks were the talk of the town as they confirmed their romance at the Pride of Britain afterparty. The lovebirds were spotted sharing a sweet kiss in the Red Bar of London's Grosvenor House Hotel, partying until the wee hours of 1am, as exclusively revealed by The Mirror.

Despite previously keeping mum about their rumoured relationship, the couple left no doubt about their status to onlookers at the bash, with Maura affectionately kissing Pete's nose before they both locked lips.

The duo joins a host of celebrities who have sparked romances at the prestigious event, reminiscent of Christine and Frank Lampard who met at the 2009 ceremony and now boast a blissful marriage and two kids. Love Island star Maura, 33, and TOWIE favourite Pete, 36, were first caught in a smooch back in August outside Soho's Broadwick hotel.

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They've since teased the public about their relationship, with Maura even donning a T-shirt featuring the snap of their kiss captioned: "We can't be friends."

The pair were seen supporting each other recently, with Maura rooting for Pete and his mate Sam Thompson during their live Staying Relevant podcast recording at Hammersmith Apollo. Just this week, the couple flaunted their chemistry in a TikTok video, showing off dance moves as Pete continues his journey on Strictly Come Dancing, reports the Mirror.

It seems their romance is sizzling, as evidenced by their affectionate display at the ceremony, despite their previous attempts to play it down.

Pete Wicks found himself in the hot seat when Olivia Attwood probed him about his dating life, specifically mentioning Maura Higgins. Pete responded with a hint of mystery, saying: "Me and Maura have known each other for a long time."

At the Pride of Britain party, Maura was seen seeking assistance from Strictly dancer Kai Widdrington to ease a cramp, while the celebrations wound down into the hotel lobby.

On Saturday's episode of Strictly, Pete and his dance partner Jowita Przystal delivered an intimate rumba to "Don't Look Back In Anger," which included close contact and several lifts. Judge Craig Revel Horwood deemed the lifts "totally illegal" and mentioned they could lead to "disqualification" in a competition setting, yet he commended Wicks for his effort in the routine.

The pair scored 22 points from the judges.

During the Pride of Britain ceremony, Pete and his buddy Sam Thompson were rallying celebrities to support Child of Courage winner Florrie Bark's charity, BeMoreFab. Florrie had everyone laughing as she energetically called out: "Get all of them! Round them up! Get Duncan Ballantyne! Before he hides."

Her enthusiasm paid off, as the Dragon donated a hefty £30,000 to her cause, contributing to the over £100,000 raised by the generous attendees.

During the emotional moment on The Masked Singer, Joel Dommett teamed up with Strictly sensation Oti Mabuse to present the Child of Courage award, telling young Florrie: "You are one of the most inspirational people I've ever met. You light up every room."

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