Pete Wicks and Maura Higgins set to make a fortune as 'omnipresent' reality show power couple

Fans of reality shows will already be well aware who and Maura Higgins are - but it seems the rest of the might soon be unable to avoid them too.

The fame hungry stars have embarked on a blossoming romance and are tipped to take the small and big screen by storm and are expected to become one of the highest earning star couples in the UK. Former 36, is already estimated to be worth as much as £4 million and his exes include stars Ella Rae Wise, and as well as contestant

33, is said to be worth £3.2 million and she has dated fellow Love Island stars and former Strictly Come Dancing professional , and Hollywood stuntman Bobby Holland Hanton - who routinely steps in for dangerous scenes in place of But now Pete and Maura have found each other, there are estimations they could combine their fortunes and become more famous than ever before.

Fans can currently see Pete on the long-running dance competition while Maura will soon be seen on equally long-running celebrity popularity contest Here is a look at their rise to fame and fortune.

AN EXPERT'S OPINION

Brand and culture expert Nick Ede has hinted that Pete and Maura could rake in huge sums of money as their star power reaches new highs as they become a power couple. "Pete and Maura have cleverly spread their fame and their faces all over the UK's TV landscape. Whether it's and Strictly, or and , they have managed and are managing to become omnipresent TV personalities.

"Pete has only just finished SAS on Channel Four and now he's on ITV. Pete has also kept his profile and his fame up due to his bromance with which has been going on for many years; this and his new show on UKTV means that there is no escaping him. Similarly Maura is an ITV favourite and this winter she'll be brightening up our ssceeens on I'm a celebrity."

He added: "They can keep up this momentum by appearing post show on daytime tv and also I can see Maura being snapped up to follow in Olivia Atwood's footsteps and becoming a Loose Woman. That and podcasting, and if they play their romance right I can see them being offered their own fly on the wall documentary from the likes of ITV2 would love a new reality show with such a hot couple."

THE ONLY WAY TO START

Pete Wicks was a cast member on ITV's from 2015 until 2022 and drew plenty of attention for his wild dating antics and arguments with co-stars. After seven years on the show, he decided to bow out in order to chase other opportunities - which included multiple stints on E4's Celebs Go Dating and Channel 4's SAS: Who Dares Wins.

Appearing on the Not My Bagg podcast earlier this year, Pete slammed the reality show that made him famous, saying: "I don't miss. I've never watched it and I never watched it before I did it, I never watched it when I did it, I've never watched anything I've done on TV... I was starting to become the Ian Beale of Towie, just this sort of drunk in the corner, so it was definitely time for me to f****** do one."

PODCAST POTENTIAL

In October 2022, Pete teamed up with Made In Chelsea star Sam Thompson to launch their wildly successful Staying Relevant podcast. The boys talk about their experiences in the spotlight and their desire to find even more fame - with the series attracting a large following.

The duo boast 65,000 YouTube subscribers, 400,000 followers on TikTok, and 277,000 on . In 2024 they took the show on the road where the sold out theatres across the UK for recording sessions with a live audience. The boys appear unstoppable with rumours of fresh dates in 2025.

WHO DARES TWICE

Pete has been on Channel 4's Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins twice - appearing in both the 2022 and 2024 seasons. He previously told The Sun why he decided to drop out after two weeks during his second attempt, explaining: "I decided that night that I was in too deep.

"I hadn't prepared for the reading out of the letters. I said things that I think I shouldn't have said because I wasn't saying it to the right person. I thought, 'I need to go and say what I've said in this letter to my mum. For them, it's life and death. But it's a TV show, and I'd reached my limit on a TV show. I've got absolutely no regrets about it."

OLD DOG, NEW TRICKS

Pete will soon be seen flexing his presenting skills as he will helm a documentary called Pete Wicks: For Dog's Sake later this year. The show will follow Pete - who owns Eric and Peggy - as he works with Dogs Trust to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome animals.

Speaking of the show, Pete told the Daily Mail: "Up until a few months ago my main dream was to do a show with dogs and I was lucky enough to film for it this summer. Animals make me happy, they make me feel good. They live for the present and I think that's a beautiful thing we as humans don't really do. If we were more like animals that would be amazing!"

STRICTLY SUCCESSFUL

Pete has been paired with Jowita Przystał for the 2024 season of Strictly Come Dancing where he has become something of a fan favourite. And his time on the show has already become more lucrative as he has made it to the Blackpool round of the show.

According to reports, celebrity contestants on Strictly are paid a flat rate fee of £25,000 - but this increases depending on how successful the contestant becomes. Reportedly the paycheck jumps up to £60,000 for those who make to the Blackpool stage, then to £75,000 for those who make it to the semi-finals and the ultimate winner will be paid £100,000.

A LOVELY START

Maura Higgins had her own successful start in the reality spotlight - entering the Love Island villa as a contestant during the fifth season of the show in 2019. Maura quickly won over viewers when she scolded Tom Walker when she overheard him speaking about her in a derogatory fashion to their fellow contestants.

She went on to couple up with dancer Curtis Pritchard and they made it all the way to the final, but didn't win and were instead in fourth place. Her Love Island life has continued beyond being a contestant, as she is a co-host on the USA version of the show.

MOVIE ROLES

It's not just presenting and modelling that Maura is building a career in, as she is also dipping her toes into the world of acting. She landed a role in the upcoming music-themed comedy The Spin which co-stars Game of Thrones actor Brenock O'Connor.

The film is directed by Michael Head and Maura's character is named Rose. The project had a premiere at the Belfast Film Festival earlier this year but does not have a confirmed release date as yet.

HAPPY CAMPING

Maura is set to be one of the late entrants on the 2024 season of ITV's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! which returns to screens this Sunday. A main cast will star on the show initially before Maura and the Reverend Richard Coles join the camp at a later date.

TV fans could ultimately see Maura and Pete both on TV in the same night if he continues to perform well on Strictly and she manages to maintain in the jungle camp. As well as these achievements, Maura runs her successful The Flutter Effect Ltd company and has appeared on the winter sport reality show .

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