Pete Wicks, the 37-year-old former Strictly star and presenter of For Dog's Sake, has declared he has never met a bad dog while attending Crufts 2026. Speaking to the Mirror at the world's largest dog show, held at Birmingham's NEC, Wicks said: 'I don't like people, but I've never met a bad dog. Whatever love you give to them, dogs give it back tenfold.' The event, now in its 135th year, attracted a record 20,000 dogs and 160,000 humans over four days.
Wicks, who attended with dog food brand Pooch & Mutt, left his own dogs at home: six-month-old rescue rottweiler puppy Rodney and 12-year-old French bulldog Eric, whom he described as 'a blind, deaf loaf of bread with legs'. He added: 'People look for what benefits them – that's human nature. Whereas animals, they just live for the moment. The only time I really get an opportunity to do that is when I'm around animals.'
The show, broadcast on Channel 4, was hosted by Clare Balding, Ellie Simmonds, Radzi Chinyanganya and newcomer Claudia Winkleman. Paralympic swimmer Ellie Simmonds, 31, revealed she has applied to foster a dog, fulfilling a childhood dream. 'Sadly my dad is super, super allergic to dogs, so we could never have a dog growing up,' she told the Mirror. 'I always said to my mum, can we not trade dad for a dog?'
Olympic cyclist Dame Laura Kenny, 33, also attended, praising the unconditional love of dogs. Clare Balding said: 'I am in heaven when I'm at Crufts. It's a live sporting event.' Claudia Winkleman, hosting for the first time, described it as 'the greatest place – it's like Glastonbury for dogs.' The event featured competitions in agility, freestyle, obedience, flyball and grooming, with most 'best in group' winners from the UK despite a record 4,229 overseas entries.
