It was the moment that sent social media into meltdown — and sparked months of romance rumours.
Now, Pete Wicks and Jowita Przystał have finally spoken out about their unforgettable O2 performance last year, addressing the real story behind the dance that appeared to end with a kiss — and left fans convinced there was more going on than friendship.
Rumours That Never Went Away
Ever since Pete and Jowita were partnered on Strictly Come Dancing, viewers have been convinced there was a deeper connection between them. Their chemistry on the dancefloor was impossible to ignore — and even long after the series ended, speculation refused to die down.
Then came the O2 moment.
Last year, Pete and his best friend Sam Thompson took their podcast Staying Relevant to London’s iconic O2 Arena for a live show. During the night, Pete and Jowita reunited on stage for a dramatic, emotional dance — ending with what many viewers believed was a kiss.
Within minutes, clips flooded social media. Fans were convinced: this had to be real.
“We Were Both Petrified”
The rumours were quickly dismissed as “part of the performance,” but now Pete and Jowita have shared what really happened behind the scenes.
Speaking on the latest episode of Staying Relevant, with Sam absent while recovering from vocal surgery, Pete asked Jowita a fan question that many viewers had been dying to hear answered:
“Did the O2 dance go exactly as planned — or did things go wrong that people don’t know about?”
The answer? A lot went wrong.
Pete admitted the performance terrified him more than anything else that night.
“I was absolutely petrified. That’s probably the most scared I’ve ever been. I was more nervous about that dance than the entire rest of the show.”
As Jowita descended from above, suspended in the air and swinging toward Pete, everything depended on perfect timing.
“I went into panic mode,” Pete confessed. “I thought I was going to mess it up.”
That’s when Jowita revealed the truth he never knew.
“Do you want to know the truth about the O2?” she said. “I was panicking too.”
She explained that if she wasn’t at the exact right angle, Pete wouldn’t be able to catch her — and both of them could have fallen.
Pete was stunned. “I didn’t know you were panicking. I’ve never seen you panic before.”
Why the Dance Meant So Much
Despite the fear, both agreed the O2 performance became one of the most meaningful moments of their lives.
Jowita described it as the proudest night of her career.
“That was the best night of my life. The most important — and the moment I’m most proud of as a dancer.”
Pete revealed the emotional reason the dance mattered so deeply. It was the routine they had planned to perform if they reached the Strictly final — a dream that never happened.
“Strictly was amazing,” he said. “But it was a competition. It was a job. The O2 wasn’t.”
He continued:
“I chose to do the O2. I chose to do it with you because you mean so much to me. You choreographed the whole thing because you believed we’d reach the final — and I didn’t get you there. So I wanted us to have that moment together.”
And What About the ‘Kiss’?
While neither Pete nor Jowita directly addressed the kiss that sparked the rumours, they made one thing clear: everything about the dance was choreographed long before — and was always meant to be performed.
Still, fans remain divided — was it simply performance… or something more?
One thing is certain:
That O2 moment wasn’t just dramatic.
It was emotional.
And it’s one viewers still can’t stop talking about.
