In a move that’s split the nation like a chewed-up tennis ball, reality TV rogue Pete Wicks – the tattooed heartthrob once crowned TV’s ultimate bad boy on The Only Way Is Essex – has stormed into the spotlight as the fresh face of a major primetime pet show. Announced on a crisp November evening in 2025, the bombshell reveal has unleashed a torrent of adoration from some quarters and outright outrage from others, with fans declaring the 37-year-old “utterly unworthy” of filling the paw prints of the irreplaceable Paul O’Grady. “He’s not Paul – and he’ll never be Paul!” one furious devotee blasted on social media, capturing the raw emotion rippling across the UK as the news hit like a rogue fetch stick.

O’Grady, the drag queen-turned-national treasure who hosted ITV’s beloved For the Love of Dogs for 11 heartwarming series, passed away in March 2023 at 67, leaving a void in British telly that’s proven impossible to fill. His unscripted charm, wicked wit, and genuine bond with rescue pups at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home turned the show into a ratings juggernaut, boosting adoptions by thousands and earning him a Bafta. When Alison Hammond stepped in last year, the backlash was swift: viewers branded her “fake” and “disconnected,” clamoring instead for a true dog whisperer. Enter Pete Wicks, whose own canine crusade – the U&W series Pete Wicks: For Dogs’ Sake – has quietly become a sleeper hit since its 2024 debut.

Filmed at Dogs Trust in Basildon, Essex, Wicks’ show dives deep into the gritty world of rescue and rehoming, with the Essex lad rolling up his sleeves to rehabilitate strays, from boisterous mastiffs to timid terriers. In one gut-wrenching episode, he broke down in tears as a rescue dog named Bailey faced a cancer diagnosis, evoking “painful memories” of his own losses and drawing parallels to O’Grady’s raw vulnerability. “Dogs forgive humanity after everything – maybe they’re saving us,” Wicks reflected after a secret 2024 mission to South Korea, where he airlifted 13 pups from a dog meat farm, rescuing 170 in total. His passion isn’t performative; he’s penned a book on Frenchies, advocated for animal welfare on his top-charting podcast Staying Relevant with pal Sam Thompson, and even sparked a 30% adoption surge at Dogs Trust post-airing.

Yet, the primetime pivot – reportedly a BBC-ITV crossover special blending For Dogs’ Sake elements into a golden-hour slot – has howled up a storm. Admirers hail Wicks as “the natural successor,” praising his “unconditional love” and “slobber-at-first-sight” rapport with pooches, much like O’Grady’s legendary antics. “Pete’s the one who’d kidnap every dog for a forever home,” gushed a viewer, echoing calls for him to oust Hammond entirely. Critics, however, see red: “TOWIE’s tattooed playboy tarnishing Paul’s legacy? It’s an insult!” they rage, pointing to Wicks’ tabloid past of flirty scandals and MMA threats over alleged texts to an ex. Alison herself clapped back at trolls in August, quipping, “People say Pete would be better – let them try wrangling 20 rescues in heels!”

This divide underscores a broader TV tussle: Can a reality star’s raw authenticity eclipse O’Grady’s polished eccentricity? With Wicks’ series greenlit for a second run, Christmas special, and now this high-stakes gig, the stakes are fur-real. Adoptions are up, but so are the petitions – over 5,000 signatures demanding “Paul’s spirit stays sacred.” As Britain tunes in, one thing’s clear: In the dog-eat-dog world of primetime, Wicks is fetching controversy, but whether he wins hearts or just chases tails remains the million-paw question. Will he prove detractors wrong, or will the nation’s outrage lead to a ratings retraining? The pack’s baying – and the full moon’s just rising.