Pete Wicks returning for second series of For Dogs' Sake
Pete Wicks is to present a second series of the UandW show 'For Dogs' Sake' after the first run was well-received earlier this year.
Pete Wicks will return to present a second series of 'For Dogs' Sake'.
The former 'The Only Way Is Essex' star will be back for a new run of the UandW after the first series – which saw the reality star go behind the scenes at the Dogs Trust rehoming centre in Basildon – proved popular when it aired earlier this year.
An insider told The Sun newspaper's TVBiz column: "The show got a great reception when it aired earlier this year, and not just because he was still basking in the afterglow of 'Strictly'.
"Many viewers compared 'For Dogs' Sake' to show 'For The Love Of Dogs', and said he was a worthy successor to the late, great Paul O'Grady who hosted the ITV show.
"They noticed how it was obvious just how much Pete adores canines through the four-part series."
Pete – who reached the semi-finals of 'Strictly Come Dancing' last year – admitted that he was reduced to tears "several times" when making the first series of 'For Dogs' Sake'.
The 36-year-old TV star told Radio Times: "Filming the series was a privilege, but also emotionally difficult. I don't mind saying that. I cried several times. It's heartbreaking when you witness a dog arrive after a bad start in life, you can see the sadness in their eyes.
"It's a series I've been desperate to do for a decade. Why? Well, it's estimated that there are around 100,000 dogs in UK rescue centres. But only one in five people who get a dog, get a rescue."
Pete found fame on 'The Only Way Is Essex' but has ruled out the prospect of ever returning to the ITV reality series.
He said: "I left 'The Only Way Is Essex' a number of years ago and I won't go back.
"That was the end of the story."
Wicks has featured in several reality shows – including 'Celebs Go Dating' and 'Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins' – but explained that he was planning to focus on more serious programming after working on 'For Dogs' Sake'.
He said: "I've done all sorts of things on TV over the years. But now I'm at a different age than I was when I started this sort of stuff.
"People grow and change, and that's where I'm at now."
