Strictly's Jowita Przystal's VERY flirty backstage message to Pete Wicks revealed as rumours of their sizzling romance intensify

Jowita Prystal was delighted with her partner Pete Wicks ' sizzling samba on Saturday's Strictly Come Dancing.

While TOWIE hunk Pete had judge Craig Revel-Horwood blushing with his George Of The Jungle themed rountine, Jowita was also impressed with his skimpy costume.

Backstage video of the pair posted on the Strictly Instagram account, shows Jowita teasing Pete about his wild look, telling him: 'I still think you should keep that outfit'.

Commenting on the flirty video, Jowita also posted a love heart for her rumoured love interest, gushing: 'So proud of you !!!!! My king of the jungle ! '

The judges awarded the pair an impressive 26 for Movie Week - with Craig and Motsi delivering sixes and Shirley and Anton sevens.

Pete said later of the George of the Jungle routine: 'I absolutely hate the film, but I absolutely love the Samba. George loves the Samba.'

Jowita, turning to her co-star and gazing up at him said: 'Any idea I picture you go with it. You never say no and you always want to be fully in. You're my number one George. Better than the movie.'

The Mail on Sunday can reveal that tongues are wagging on the set of the BBC One dance show because the couple are so besotted with one another.

Strictly insiders say it has become an 'open secret' among the cast and crew that they have fallen for one another after being paired together in August.

One said: 'Pete has fallen head over heels for Jowita. He thinks she is amazing in every way.

'The feeling is mutual from her side and things have definitely progressed between them. They are all over one another behind the scenes, in a way that a loved-up couple would be.'

The source added: 'It appears that we may have the first Strictly romance of the series, which is so exciting. They are the talk of the show.

'The other contestants are really happy for them. They are always smiling. It's lovely. It will certainly brighten up the show following the dreadful saga around Giovanni (Pernice) and Amanda Abbington.'

The pair are thought to have hit it off 'immediately' and were seen at the beginning of last month very publicly cosying up together at the National Television Awards.

It wouldn't be the first time that Ms Przystal, 30 – the Polish ballroom supremo who guided Hamza Yassin to victory in 2022 – has dated one of her Strictly co-stars. She enjoyed a fling with former professional dancer

Pernice, 34, last year and was also linked to dancer Arduino Bertoncello.

Before that, she was in a long-term relationship with her dance partner Michael Danilczuk.

According to their website, the couple met in 2013 at a summer dance camp in Krakow, Poland. It also mentioned that they didn't like one another at first but after spending a year in partnership they fell in love.

In 2015, they ended their competitive career together but carried on performing with Burn The Floor, the live dance show, while travelling the world. They split up two years ago.