Pete Wicks is dating his Strictly dance partner Jowita Przystal, the Daily Mail can reveal.

The couple shocked fans by passionately kissing three times during a raunchy routine performed at London’s O2 arena on Friday night, where Pete was fronting a special live show of his Staying Relevant podcast with co-host Sam Thompson.

Pete, 36, and Jowita, 31, never got the chance to perform the routine on the BBC1 dance show as they were saving it for the final, which they narrowly missed out on.

But the sold-out audience at the O2 got more than a glimpse of the epic dancer number, which exemplified Pete and Jowita’s electric chemistry.

And sources close to the couple confirmed the pair are now officially dating, having grown close on the show when Pete was rumoured to be in the early stages of a romance with Maura Higgins.

An insider said: ‘Pete and Jowita are now an item, they’ve been dating for a few weeks.

‘They kept things professional on Strictly, there was no crossover with Maura.

‘But once Pete was single they grew close again and recently the relationship has blossomed into something more.

‘You could tell something is going on between them during their routine – it was extremely raunchy and dance partners don’t usually kiss quite like that.’

Pete and Sam’s celebrity pals took their place among their loyal fans for the special night, called One Night Only with Staying Relevant starring Sam Thompson and Pete Wicks.

Taking to her official Instagram account after Friday’s performance, Jowita told fans: ‘I’m still buzzing after last night performance… and to be honest I feel absolutely speechless.’

She continued: ‘Massive thank you to everyone who came to watch, thank you for all your beautiful messages, your support means everything. And last but not least @p_wicks01 for making my dream come true

‘Had the best night ever. More to come. J.’

It comes after Pete reignited speculation surrounding his bond with Jowita as he shared a cosy Instagram snap with her earlier this month.

The former TOWIE star sent fans into a frenzy when he shared a gushing tribute to Jowita in honour of her birthday last month, leading some to question whether the post was him ‘hard launching’ their romance.

Pete shared a sweet snap of himself and Jowita in a dance studio on his Instagram Stories, as she prepares to take to the floor with a new celebrity partner on Strictly later this month.

In the photo dump, Pete included a steamy dance floor snap, a close-up car selfie, a rehearsal snap, and several photos from their nights out together.

Alongside the post, the star gushed: ‘It was never about dancing… it was about the person.

‘Happy birthday @jowitaprzystal – I am so blessed and grateful to have you in my life. My pocket rocket (love heart emoji).’

Pete and Love Island star Maura were first linked in August last year, but the former couple went their separate ways in February, and Maura was later seen kissing McFly’s Danny Jones at the BRITs.

At the time, Pete distanced himself from the drama this caused by going on his already planned luxury holiday to Dubai.

A source told the Daily Mail: ‘Pete has moved on and couldn’t care less about Maura. He feels indifferent about the drama currently surrounding her.

‘He is focusing on himself and enjoying a break in the sun before getting back into work.’