Pete Wicks appeared emotional during a gruelling Strictly Come Dancing rehearsal on Thursday.
The TOWIE star, 36, who is a fan favourite, was spotted looking exhausted and putting his head in his hands following the ten-hour run through.
Pete – who has said he has been enjoying the experience so far, seemed to be struggling with the choreography ahead of the first live show on Saturday and was spotted taking a break with his dance partner Jowita Przystal, 30.
In one snap Pete, wearing a plain white vest could be seen rubbing his eyes as he took a moment of respite.
The pair are set to dance the Paso Doble to Firestarter by The Prodigy on Saturday’s show.
Fan favourite Pete Wicks, 36, appeared emotional during a gruelling 10 hour Strictly Come Dancing rehearsal on Thursday ahead of Saturday’s live show
Pete was spotted taking a moment with his supportive dance partner Jowita Przystal, 30
Pete, wearing a plain white vest with his hair pulled back could be seen with his face in his hands
The day before, Pete and Strictly pro Jowita seemed to be getting along well and were spotted putting on a passionate display as they got stuck into rehearsals for their first dance on Thursday.
The professional dancer was seen with her hand in Pete’s hair before they later embraced during the session.
After the end of their rehearsal, the pair were seen leaving the dance studio with their chaperone.
No doubt Jowita has been throwing her support behind Pete.
The BBC have introduced new guidelines following a series of scandals and bullying allegations.
This year – the 20th anniversary of Strictly – has seen the show implement a raft of new ‘anti-bullying’ rules.
New measures were introduced after the BBC was forced to carry out a misconduct investigation when actress Amanda Abbington unexpectedly quit the show last October.
Pete wiped away sweat as he put his all into his rehearsals
The reality star looked visibly tired as he took a break in the studio
Months later, professional dancer Graziano was sacked after BBC staffers revealed they had seen footage of him ‘kicking’ celebrity partner Zara McDermott.
As a result, the BBC called in chaperones for the upcoming series to watch over the pairs – and now it has been revealed they are instructed to report anything untoward to a helpful.
A source told The Sun: ‘They’ve been told to log positive moments in rehearsals as well as anything that could be called into question.
‘However, it has been stressed that they should call the helpline immediately if anything bad happens to ensure that any wrongdoing is dealt with promptly.
‘It will also be protocol for the researchers to move between different training rooms so they don’t become too pally with the professional dancers and celebrities.’
It was also revealed that the BBC will reportedly be clamping down on couples rehearsing outside of their capped training times.
Producers are bringing back a weekly cap on practice hours which means celebrities and their professional dancers can only do a maximum of around 48 hours a week.
The cap was reportedly introduced last year to create a level playing field between couples and averages out at around eight hours per day with Sunday’s off.
Pete could be seen chatting to his partner while he took a break
But ever the trooper, he jumped back into rehearsals and got back on the dancefloor to continue practising
Pete has been paired up with Jowita Przystal and the two will take to the floor on Saturday night for the first live show
A source told The Sun: ‘The celebs have been told they have to stick to the cap.
‘They’re all incredibly competitive and desperate to do well.
‘But bosses want to make sure everyone gets a fair crack of the whip, so they’ve laid out the rules.’
Following the new rules, Strictly judge Craig Revel Horwood has revealed he was ‘whacked with a cane’ when he was training as a dancer as a ‘corrective measure’ but is ‘gobsmacked’ by the Strictly abuse scandal.
The judge, 59, who has been on the show since its inception, appeared on BBC Breakfast on Wednesday ahead of the 20th series.
‘Of course I found out with the press because the judges are all kept separate from the contestants.
‘The only time we ever see each other is when we are in passing going to the studio so you don’t really get the opportunity to know what happens in the rehearsal room. It’s not part of our jobs.’
Breakfast host Naga Munchetty, 49, asked: ‘Have you ever thought about how you train? I mean, obviously you have danced, and that relationship…’
New measures were introduced after the BBC carried out a misconduct investigation when Amanda Abbington quit the show last October (pictured with Giovanni Pernice)
It was followed by Graziano Di Prima’s sacking last month over reports he verbally and physically abused Zara McDermott during rehearsals. Graziano apologised
Craig Revel Horwood has revealed he was ‘whacked with a cane’ when he trained as a dancer but is ‘gobsmacked’ by the Strictly scandal
Craig said when he was training as a young dancer his teacher would ‘whack us with a cane’ as a form of correction.
‘I know how I was trained and it was tough,’ he admitted. ‘I had a Russian ballet teacher who used to have a cane and she would whack us with it. Just so you’re not pulling up from the thigh – doing a deboules, for instance, to engage your hamstrings.
‘I mean obviously that sort of teaching wouldn’t be available today. Things have changed and come a long way in the 40 years since I trained.’