Last night, September 22, 2025, UK telly screens flickered with a revelation that sent shockwaves through living rooms: Pete Wicks, the tattooed tearaway once synonymous with TOWIE’s boozy brawls and heartbreak hookups, was crowned the new host of a primetime dog rescue extravaganza. U&W’s For Dogs’ Sake—Pete’s passion project filmed at Essex’s Dogs Trust—snagged a bombshell second series commission, thrusting the 37-year-old into the spotlight as the self-proclaimed “successor” to the irreplaceable Paul O’Grady. Insiders gush he’s “filling legendary paws with heart,” but as clips of Pete cradling cancer-stricken strays went viral (racking 1.7 million views overnight), the cheers clashed with raised eyebrows: Can the reality rogue really trade Essex escapades for national treasure status? Fans are divided, and the debate’s barking mad.
Pete’s arc from clubbing Casanova to canine crusader reads like a script no one bought. Bursting onto screens in 2015 as TOWIE’s brooding hunk—think shirtless scraps with Megan McKenna and that infamous vasectomy vow—Wicks weathered scandals like a storm: three rounds of Celebs Go Dating, a Strictly Come Dancing samba scandal in 2024 (paired with Jowita Przystał, whispers of romance still linger), and Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins breakdowns that bared his anxiety scars. “I was a mess—booze, birds, bad decisions,” he confessed in a 2023 Guardian chat, crediting therapy and his pug Peggy for the pivot. Dogs? His North Star. “They don’t judge your past; they just wag,” Pete told Hello!, eyes misty. Enter For Dogs’ Sake: four pilot eps in January 2025, where he wrangled rehomes, swabbed kennels, and teared up over a terminal terrier’s tale—echoing Paul’s For the Love of Dogs rawness so keenly, viewers dubbed it “O’Grady 2.0.”
The unveiling? A glitzy London bash, Pete in a rare suit (tats peeking), toasting with Sam Thompson—his Made in Chelsea turned I’m A Celeb bestie—who whooped, “From bad boy to good boy—proud, mate!” Clips hit X at midnight: Pete bottle-feeding pups, bantering with Basildon staff, his gravelly Essex drawl cracking jokes mid-muck (“This one’s naughtier than me on a night out!”). Ratings? The pilots pulled 2.1 million, per BARB, outpacing Alison Hammond’s For the Love of Dogs S2 launch. Insiders spill to The Sun: “Pete’s got Paul’s grit—unscripted, unfiltered, utterly devoted. He’s the worthy successor; that warmth’s no act.” Fans flooded #PeteForDogs with love: “Crying buckets—haven’t felt this since Paul,” one sobbed. Another: “TOWIE Pete? Now saving souls? Iconic glow-up.”
But the backlash bites. Skeptics snarl he’s “punching above his paw”—a reality relic chasing credibility off O’Grady’s corpse (Paul’s 2023 passing still stings). “Paul was a comic genius, a gay icon fighting for the forgotten; Pete’s just a pretty face with a pooch,” fumes a Digital Spy forum thread (10k views). His Strictly strut and Celebs Go Dating dalliances fuel doubts: “Ready for primetime heart? Or just another gig to shill his podcast?” Pete clapped back on Insta Stories: “Haters gonna hate—I’m here for the tails, not the tales.” Alison Hammond, holding Paul’s ITV fort, shaded subtly in a This Morning quip: “Dogs love everyone… mostly.” With series two eyeing 2026 (more rehomes, celeb cameos teased—Sam with a spaniel?), the question looms: Will Pete prove his pedigree, or prove the cynics right?
This isn’t reinvention; it’s resurrection. Wicks, once the villain in Vicky Pattinson’s vows, now woos with whimpers—proving TV’s wildest rides lead to the pound. As Peggy snoozes at his feet, one truth nips: legendary shoes fit funny, but Pete’s striding. Bark up the right tree? Time—and tails—will tell.
