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Pete Wicks complains one part of Buckingham Palace is 'no different to Nando's'

Pete Wicks says that he was distinctly underwhelmed when he was invited to Buckingham Palace last week as part of his work with The Dogs' Trust

[LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 24: Pete Wicks attends The TRIC Awards 2025 at The Grosvenor House Hotel on June 24, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Dave Benett/Getty Images)]

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Pete was quite blas about his visit to Buckingham Palace(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)

Former TOWIE star Pete Wicks says he was was less than impressed when he visited Buckingham Palace recently. Chatting to pal Sam Thompson on their Staying Relevant podcast, he compared the 320-year-old landmark to a branch of Nandos.

He explained that after spending the day filming at the Dogs Trust, a charity is an ambassador for, he had changed into his suit and tie in a kennel before rushing across town on the hottest day of the year to attend the royal event. But when Pete was welcomed into the 775-room palace, he found himself confined to public areas that he found distinctly underwhelming.

Using the Palace loo, in particular, was a disappointment for Pete. He explained: When you go to the toilets, theres f*****g urinals. Its like a f*****g nightclub p****r. He said that he really only saw the public areas of the Palace, which werent as grand as he expected.

Its just a public urinal, he complained, its no different than Nandos. I cant get that excited about it.

Pete rejected Sams suggestion that he might have pocketed a spoon or some other small item as a memento of his visit, and added that for him, the event was what mattered and the venue was almost completely irrelevant. He dismissed the Palace historic significance, saying: It doesnt interest me that much, its just a big house.

[Sam Thompson and Pete Wicks on the red carpet at the Daily Mirror 2025 Pride of Britain Awards at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London on Monday 20th October 2025]

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The pair discussed their royal experiences on their podcast(Image: Rowan Griffiths / Daily Mirror)

Sam was a little more impressed during his own brush with royalty, but admits that he lied to the Queen out of sheer panic. After being introduced to Queen Camilla at a red-carpet event he wanted to engage her in conversation but was so nervous he couldnt think of anything to say.

After briefly trying to interest the Queen in the topic of air purifiers, he then wasnt sure what to say next. I thought if I pay her a compliment, she's going to hang around a little bit and like linger, he confessed. So as she was wearing a purple dress, Sam blurted out that purple was his favourite colour.

Admitting that he had to fight the temptation to grab Camilla by the arm, he added: I wanted to pay her a compliment, but she was already moving off.

[Queen Camilla meeting Sam Thompson as she attends A King's Trust Celebration at the Royal Albert Hall, London, to mark the 50th anniversary of the charity. The King's Trust, formerly known as The Prince's Trust, helps those from disadvantaged communities and those facing adversity by supporting them to build the confidence and skills to live, learn and earn. Since the Trust was founded by The King, as Prince of Wales, in 1976 it has helped more than a million young people across the UK. Picture date: Saturday May 9, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Aaron Chown/PA Wire]

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Sam's nerves got the better of him when he met the Queen(Image: Aaron Chown/PA Wire)

Sam explained that he felt pressure to say something interesting. He continued: She just had a lovely conversation with Fleur East on my right, and I was like, Oh, they've had a great chat. I wanted to have some sort of nice moment with her. So, I was like, "Okay, I've got to do something." And I just started talking about air purifiers I cant remember why.

As an opening gambit, Sam had relied on that great British topic - talking about the weather. He commented on how it was a little hot and sticky, then followed that up by telling Camilla that he had recently bought an Air purifier from Amazon.

The former Made in Chelsea star recalled: "She went Oh, nice, nice, and then walked off. I thought I can't leave it there. At least tell her that she looks great.

To make matters worse, Sam then realised that he was reaching out to hold her back: I managed to stop myself a good 10 centimetres short. I just sort of reikied her from the side. She did like me, I think, he concluded.

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