Lorraine viewers were left appalled when she flirted with Pete Wicks during an interview on Thursday’s show which was branded ‘pathetic, lewd and embarrassing.’

The presenter, 64, even went as far as to sniff the TOWIE star, 36, and joked that she was now ‘going out’ with him.

Joining Lorraine on her daytime TV programme, Pete and his Strictly Come Dancing partner Jowita Pryzstal, 30, were questioned over rumours of a romance between them.

The reality TV personality has kept fans guessing over his love life in recent weeks, having been both linked to the professional dancer 30, and Maura Higgins, 34.

Pete explained: ‘Yeah, I don’t think everyone thinks it. I think the press says that and they have run with it. But we have a very strong friendship and are friends for life.

Flirting with him Lorraine joked that anyone he is seen near he is then thought to be ‘dating’.

Lorraine viewers were left appalled when she flirted with Pete Wicks during an interview on Thursday’s show which was branded ‘pathetic, lewd and embarrassing’

Joining Lorraine on her daytime TV programme, Pete and his Strictly Come Dancing partner Jowita Pryzstal, 30, were questioned over rumours of a romance between them

She exclaimed: ‘You smell amazing, I am going to come and sniff you. Oh but now I have sniffed you I will be going out with you.

Pete replied: ‘I would love to be going out with you Lorraine. I will take you out for your birthday.’

Sharing their thoughts to X, fans wrote: ‘Pathetic and embarrassing to see how simpering and flirting Lorraine is with Pete Wicks. Rather than talk about his dancing, makes lewd innuendo about how well he fitted into the pink trousers. Imagine if a man went up to a woman on live TV to sniff her?’

Others added: ‘Imagine a male host sniffing a female guest and then saying it means they’re now dating’; ‘Wedging herself firmly up Pete’s arse there!’; ‘Lorraine is so nauseous.’

Earlier this week, the reality star revealed he has been on the receiving end of nasty death threats during his time on Strictly.

He told Jowita on his Staying Relevant podcast that he had been the subject of trolling and even death threats, confessing: ‘Since Strictly, there have been some real crackers.

‘Someone actually wished death upon me on the dance floor the other day.’

Strictly fans were shocked by Sunday’s dance off as they questioned why Pete and Jowita weren’t in the bottom two, with even the duo looking shocked as they sailed through to the quarter finals for Musicals week.

The presenter, 64, even went as far as to sniff the TOWIE star, 36, and joked that she was now ‘going out’ with him

Joining Lorraine on her daytime TV programme, Pete and his Strictly Come Dancing partner Jowita Pryzstal, 30, were questioned over rumours of a romance between them

Flirting with him Lorraine joked that anyone he is seen near he is then thought to be ‘dating’ before leaning in to sniff him

Sharing their thoughts to X, fans wrote: ‘Pathetic and embarrassing to see how simpering and flirting Lorraine is with Pete Wicks’

The reality TV personality has kept fans guessing over his love life in recent weeks, having been both linked to the professional dancer 30, and Maura Higgins, 34

The TOWIE star and his partner finished bottom of the leaderboard on Saturday night, but made it through on the public vote.

Instead Jamie Borthwick and Michelle Tsiakkas and Montell Douglas and Johannes Radebe faced off in the dance off, with Jamie ultimately being sent home by the judges.

The results of Sunday’s show saw fans criticise the judges’ decisions to ‘constantly down-mark’ the actor.

Their closeness was also noticed by fans, with Jowita clinging onto Pete’s arm after they were saved by the public.

But then Pete commented on Maura’s post of her eating trial: ‘What a woman’.

The clip was posted to Instagram by Maura’s friends and family, who are running her account while she’s Down Under.

They edited in the viral video of Maura in Love Island, where she overhears Tom Walker, who she was coupled up with at the time on the show, making a suggestive comment before they went into the hideaway.

The funny clip saw Tom quip: ‘It will be interesting to see whether she’s all mouth or not,’ followed by Maura getting stuck into the eating challenge and joking: ‘I don’t think I can swallow it. First time I’ve said that.’

Maura insisted she was still single as she prepared to make her I’m A Celebrity debut after they were pictured kissing on several occasions.

When asked if she is in a relationship with Pete, Maura said: ‘I’m not. I’ve been on dates with many people. I mean, I date, but I’m very much single. Everyone goes on dates.’

Over the weekend, He wrote a smitten comment under Maura’s Instagram post as she made her I’m A Celebrity arrival, sparking further speculation the two are dating

After watching a clip of her doing an eating challenge in the latest Bushtucker Trial, as he took to the comments to write: ‘WHAT A WOMAN’

Jowita and Pete have been competing on Strictly together since September, and in recent weeks, sources have claimed they have been secretly seeing each other away from the show

She added: ‘It is quite scary going in later. They have all met and got to know each other.

‘It’s never easy being the newbie, but I am not a shy person, so I feel like I will be fine. It will be nice to bring some energy to the camp.

‘I am single at the moment, but honestly no-one is going to fancy me in the jungle. Trust me!’

Jowita and Pete have been competing on Strictly together since September, and in recent weeks, sources have claimed they have been secretly seeing each other away from the show and have been spotted looking cosy on car rides together.

‘The chemistry between them has been pretty clear since the moment they met but the last few weeks something has changed and they’ve started seeing each other away from the show,’ a source told The Sun.

‘They’ve tried to keep it low-key but they often travel together rather than getting separate cars to different locations.

‘And they’re so tactile backstage it has become pretty obvious something is going on. Everyone is talking about the fact they seem closer than ever.’