The ‘secret code’ Strictly star Pete Wicks has with partner Jowita Przystal

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Strictly Come Dancing professional Jowita Przystal has revealed the secret code that she and her dance partner Pete Wicks use in training sessions.

The Only Way is Essex star Wicks is competing in this year’s Strictly competition along 14 more celebrities vying for the glitterball trophy. He is partnered with Przystal, who has worked on the show since 2021.

Appearing on Wicks’s Staying Relevant podcast, which he co-presents with former Made in Chelsea star Sam Thompson, Przystal discussed her bond with Wicks – and said they instantly “connected” when they first met.

Kicking the programme off, Thompson told Przystal he couldn’t believe she had been partnered with “Britain’s sexiest man”, to which the dancer replied: “Me too!”

Przystal reflected on the first time they met, saying they “didn’t dance much” as they couldn’t stop making each other laugh.

Speaking further about their special bond, she explained they sometimes don’t need to speak to each other to communicate in training – they simply look at each other.

“Me and Pete, we have a little code already. We don’t talk. Sometimes we don’t need to speak, we just know,” explained the dancer, demonstrating her stare.

Przystal added: “We went into a circle and all the female pros switch after one eight of the dance, and we just go around each other. Every time I went to Pete, we were just laughing. We didn’t even dance. It was fun.”

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She continued: “We had this final dance together when we learnt a little bit of the routine with the choreographer. Funnily enough, they video it and sent it around to the group so everyone can remember the steps and we were in the video!”

Przystal said that when they re-met on the pairing day, they were both wearing cowboy boots and similar outfits.

Wicks’ co-host Thompson said that Wicks called him after he had met Przystal for the first time, and seemed completely overjoyed.

Thompson said: “I don’t want to embarrass Pete but he was like, ‘I couldn’t believe it, we had the same socks, she’s the same kind of person as I am’”.

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Przystal revealed later that Wicks calls her his “little ray of sunshine”.

Appearing on BBC Two’s spin-off It Takes Two on Monday night, Wicks revealed that his favourite part of being in the competition is being in the rehearsal room with Przystal.

Wicks told presenter Janette Manrara: “I am loving it, and I didn’t think I would.

“I am loving the whole learning experience and being in the rehearsal room with Jowita is my favourite bit. She makes me happy every day.”