Strictly’s Pete Wicks reveals he saved his mum Tracy’s life at just age 12 after traumatic suicide attempt

Strictly's Pete Wicks reveals he saved his mum Tracy's life at just age 12 after traumatic suicide attempt

As an ardent fan and reader, I find Pete Wicks’ memoir to be not just a compelling narrative, but a testament to human resilience. The story of his bravery at such a tender age is nothing short of inspiring. At 12 years old, he had the courage and presence of mind to save his mother’s life, an act that speaks volumes about his character.


Pete Wicks shared that when he was only 12 years old, he played a crucial role in saving his mother Tracy’s life. On one occasion, he discovered her in the kitchen following a failed suicide attempt.

The TOWIE star, 36, who made his Strictly debut on Saturday night, opened up about the early traumatic experience in his new memoir Never Enough: My words unfiltered. 

He detailed that he descended into the kitchen to discover Tracy seated at a table stained with blood, clutching a knife in her grip.

Pete remembered feeling scared, so he quickly phoned his grandmother Doreen for assistance, and then dialed 999 as well.

While waiting for the ambulance, the celebrity worked to stop the bleeding and save his mother’s life, thinking back to himself: “I automatically switched to crisis control.

Strictly's Pete Wicks reveals he saved his mum Tracy's life at just age 12 after traumatic suicide attempt

Strictly's Pete Wicks reveals he saved his mum Tracy's life at just age 12 after traumatic suicide attempt

In simpler terms, he observed that she was seated at a table stained with blood. The blood began to trickle down before his eyes. He noticed that she held a knife in her non-dominant hand.

Without delay, I hastened towards her to disarm her with the knife. Earlier, she appeared as if she were under some kind of spell – it felt as though my mother had disappeared and been replaced by another person or entity.

When I approached her, it seemed as if she had just woken up. Her gaze met mine, filled with tears. Over and over again, she apologized, saying, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.

In a state of panic, I assured her it was alright while struggling to decide my next step. In this moment, I reached out to Nan. My words were scarcely audible as I tried to explain what had transpired. I believe I simply managed to blurt out, ‘Mum… knife… blood.’

In June 2022, Pete’s grandmother, who had passed away, gave him instructions to hang up and dial for an ambulance. As he proceeded in the book, he followed her advice, called the ambulance, and then focused on taking care of his mother, who by that time was sitting on the floor and bleeding profusely.

In a tense situation, I quickly gathered towels to attempt to stem the flow of blood. Next, without hesitation, I drained the wine down the drain. The emotions I experienced in that instant are hard to define, as they seemed to be purely shock. Rather than weeping, I found myself slipping into crisis management mode instead.

Reflecting on my past, I can’t help but recall the profound impact that a traumatic event had on my life. This experience instilled in me an overwhelming sense of protectiveness towards Tracy, who single-handedly raised me after she parted ways with my father when I was 11 years old.

He wrote: ‘I didn’t say it, but I believed it was my fault. I had been with Mum before it happened. I had agreed to go upstairs. I had stayed upstairs even though I could hear her wailing. If it was anyone’s fault, it was mine. 

Reflecting on it now, I realize that the burden of responsibility must have felt immense at that time, given my youth. After all, I was just a child who required guidance and care myself.

Rather than letting those feelings accumulate within me, I found myself taking care of my parent instead, pushing down fears, anxieties, isolation, and self-reproach.

Luckily, Tracy had a swift recuperation and expressed remorse to her son, labeling the incident as an ‘instant of foolishness’ that wouldn’t occur again in the future.

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2024-09-14 23:33

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