I was in pure shock, a child in crisis mode

Pete's agony over finding mum in kitchen & battle to keep her alive

- MARK JEFFERIES

AS Pete Wicks made his debut on Strictly last night he was cheered on by his mum Tracy, the strongest woman he knows.

The bond the pair share is especially fierce because Pete saved his mum's life when he was just 12. The former Towie star has opened up about how he found Tracy bleeding heavily in their kitchen after she attempted suicide.

In his new memoir, Pete tells how, terrified, he phoned his nan Doreen for help and then called an ambulance while trying to keep his mum alive.

Reliving that awful night, the star, 36, said: "I saw her sitting at the table, which had been covered in blood. I saw the blood dripping first. She was holding a knife in her other hand.

PANIC

"Immediately, I ran over to her to take the knife.

Before that, she had seemed almost possessed - it was like my mum had gone and someone (or something) else had taken over her body.

"But when I came over to her, it's like she woke up. She looked up at me with eyes full of tears.

I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, she kept repeating.