Pete Wicks and Maura Higgins BOTH break silence after kissing at Pride of Britain Awards

Strictly Come Dancing contestant Pete Wicks and Maura Higgins were spotted kissing at an afterparty following the Daily Mirror's Pride of Britain Awards in London on Monday

Reality TV stars Pete Wicks and Maura Higgins have both taken to social media this afternoon following the news that they kissed at Pride of Britain Awards.

It was exclusively revealed by the Mirror earlier that Pete, 36, and Maura, 33, shared a kiss an afterparty at Grosvenor House in London. The pair partied until 1am at the hotel's Red Bar following the awards ceremony on Monday night. They are said to have made it clear to onlookers that they were an item, following rumours of a potential romance between them.

It was reported earlier that they shared a tender moment in a corner before Maura planted a kiss on his nose, and then shared a kiss on the lips together. Both Pete and Maura have since taken to Instagram with posts about the annual event, including following the news that they shared a kiss at the afterparty. They however have yet to directly address the news.

In one post, shared around the same time that the news broke on Tuesday, Pete - who provided red carpet coverage with pal Sam Thompson - wrote alongside photos of himself and his friend: "It was on honour to work at @prideofbritain again… [Sam] and I are very fortunate to be able to do some of the things we do but last night is without doubt the most special evening of the year.

"It's a beautiful event with beautiful people and a humbling experience to be in a room with true hero's who deserve the spotlight not just for one night but every day. Congratulations to all the winners and nominees - see you next year."

The former the Only Way is Essex star also shared a series of posts on his Instagram Story, including after the news of his kiss with Maura was reported. One showed him in a rehearsal for Strictly Come Dancing with his dance partner Jowita Przystał, with him writing beside a clown emoji: "We go again ..." A more recent post, first shared by fellow contestant JB Gill, showed Pete and Sam interviewing JB and his dance partner Amy Dowden on the red carpet. Pete shared JB's post on his own Instagram Story this afternoon and wrote beside a black heart emoji: "My guy."

Love Island finalist Maura has also been posting about the Pride of Britain Awards, writing in one post that featured photos of her modelling her outfit, shared prior to the news: "A truly special evening." More recently, in a post believed to have been shared since the news of her kiss with Pete was reported, she was seen posing in a hotel lobby and wrote: "Dreamy hotel @themayfairtownhouse." A subsequent post later in the afternoon, first shared by a fan, showed Maura posing for a selfie with a group of guests at the awards ceremony's venue on Monday.

It comes following speculation in recent months of a potential romance between Pete and Maura. Rumours began circulating when they were spotted having a "passionate" kiss in August. Maura then risked fuelling the speculation just days later when she left a 'cheeky' reply to he news that Pete had signed up for the new series of Strictly. Reacting, she appeared to poke fun at the rumours circling them by teasing: "I know what those hips can do. Proud of you." More recently, Maura again appeared to poke fun at the speculation when she was gifted a t-shirt, which had "we can't be friends" written above a picture of her kissing Pete on the front, from Pete's pal Sam amid their podcast Staying Relevant's tour. Maura was seen wearing the top in a photo later shared on social media following an event.

Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.