Pete Wicks thanks fans for their support by confirming his surprising departure from TOWIE

Pete Wicks has confirmed his surprising departure from The Only Way is Essex, after seven years on the show.

The 34-year-old reality star shared a lengthy post to her Instagram stories on Thursday, thanking fans for their support over the years and saying “the time has come to take a step back.”

It comes after MailOnline exclusively revealed that Pete would be leaving the show and announced his departure.

“Just wanted to let everyone know that the time has come for me to step back from TOWIE as a regular cast member,” her post began.

“The show has been an important part of my life for a long time and has opened many doors in my career.”

He then went on to thank the staff, production, and his devoted fans.

“As much as I’m excited to move into a new chapter in my life, I will honestly miss filming every day with the cast and crew.”

He added: “Lastly, I just want to thank the fans of the show for their support and putting up with having to see my face on their screens every week.”

“Don’t stress, you can still see me show up from time to time, I’ll always be a part of the TOWIE (highly dysfunctional) family.”

MailOnline revealed on Wednesday that Pete had sensationally left the show after seven years.

The 34-year-old reality personality has left the series to focus on new TV projects.

After seven years on the show, which saw the long-haired heartthrob rise to fame thanks to his relationships with former co-stars Megan McKenna, 30, Chloe Sims, 41, and Ella Rae Wise, 22, , Pete seeks to explore new opportunities. away from the world of reality TV.

A source told MailOnline Pete’s departure was a huge blow to ITVBe executives, who already suffered the loss of long-time cast member Chloe, as well as her sisters Demi and Frankie, last year.

A source revealed: “Pete is a beloved member of TOWIE with both viewers and cast.

“But it’s time for him to move on, he’s a bit older than the rest of the cast and he hopes to achieve more in his career after being on the show for so long.”

“It’s been a monumental season and his storylines will go down in TOWIE history, but for now he’s stepping back.”

A second source added: “Pete will continue to cameo on TOWIE when it makes sense to appear alongside his friends, but he will no longer be a full-fledged cast member.”

Pete joined TOWIE in 2015 billed as James Lock’s best friend and immediately spotted Jess Wright.

He soon became a main character in the series, having an affair with The X Factor winner Celebrity Megan, with whom he had a tempestuous relationship.

Their romance came to an explosive end when Megan discovered that Pete had been sending explicit text messages to his ex-girlfriend, Jacqui Ryland.

He dated Miss Great Britain and co-star Shelby Tribble, who has since had a baby with former TOWIE cast member Sam Mucklow.

He later had a rocky relationship with Chloe, who was heartbroken when Pete wasn’t ready to commit and it dramatically affected their friendship.

Pete became known for his womanizing ways, which in recent years has been captured on the E4 series Celebs Go Dating.

He recently shared a ‘flirty friendship’ with his co-star Ella, who is 12 years his junior.

The reality TV star is the latest in a long line of veterans to have left the show in recent years, including Gemma Collins, Bobby Norris, James Argent and Liam Gatsby.

After meeting on Celebs Go Dating in 2018, Made In Chelsea’s Pete and Sam Thompson became close friends and have collaborated on many social media videos, as well as hosting Pete & Sam’s Reality News together on E4.

The duo are also beginning to record the second series of their Staying Relevant podcast this week.

Last year, Pete was forced to leave Channel 4’s SAS: Who Dares Wins after being challenged to jump from a helicopter into a lake, but managed to knock himself unconscious with his massive backpack.

He suffered from broken ribs and admitted that the experience would “haunt” him because he doesn’t usually “fail at things.”