Wynne Evans has found himself embroiled in yet another Strictly Come Dancing controversy.
The opera singer, who appeared as a contestant on the BBC series in 2024, has made headlines after making a crude remark to Janette Manrara, host of companion show It Takes Two, and his fellow Strictly star, EastEnders actor Jamie Borthwick.
Evans’ comment was made at the launch of the Strictly live tour, which sees stars of the latest series perform alongside their professional partners – and he has since pulled out.
This latest furore arrives months after Evans and Strictly professional Katya Jones were seen to have an awkward interaction in the background of an episode. It led to speculation that the pair were feuding – claims they have both repeatedly shut down.
Below is a full timeline of the continuing Evans situation.
12 October 2024: Strictly fans pick up on awkward interaction between Wynne and Katya
Evans’ highest score of the series was overshadowed by a furore caused by videos showing his background interactions with Jones. After the episode aired, a video that showed Evans awkwardly placing his hand slowly across his professional partner’s stomach, in which Jones removed it and placed it on her hip instead, went viral on social media.
12 October 2024: Viewers highlight strange background “high-five” interaction between Wynne and Katya
After the same episode, a separate clip was shared after fans noticed that Jones refused to give Evans a high five while standing behind the show’s co-host Claudia Winkleman. Jones turned her back on Evans and seemingly rolled her eyes at the opera singer.
13 October 2024: Wynne and Katya address apparent awkwardness in video
Jones and Evans, realising there was a social media furore brewing, shut down any suggestion of a feud with a video shared online.“Hi everyone, it’s Wynne and Katya here. We just wanted to say, we were just messing around in the Clauditorium on Saturday night. We just wanted to say sorry. It was a silly joke.”
Evans chimed in, saying: “Yeah. Sorry.” He then wrote in the video caption: “Apologies for this tonight, we were just messing around. We really are amazing friends. The high fives [are] a running joke. Have a great evening.”
14 October 2024: Katya calls the Wynne furore “nonsense”
When their video failed to end the speculation, Jones shared an additional statement, in which she said: “Happy Sunday, everyone. Now I need to make something crystal clear. The hand incident that happened on Saturday night was a very silly inside joke between Wynne and I, so even the idea that it made me feel uncomfortable or offended me in any way is complete nonsense. It’s quite absurd, actually. Can we focus on how brilliantly he’s doing and what an amazing dancer he’s become?”
14 October 2024: Wynne says he’s “heartbroken” by speculation about him and Katya
“I’m absolutely heartbroken by the things that have been written about me in the last day,” Evans told BBC Radio Wales. “It’s not nice to live in that time, but basically Katya and I are really, really close and we’re really good friends, and on Saturday night we made a stupid joke.” He explained,“It was a stupid joke that went wrong, okay, we thought it was funny. It wasn’t funny. It has been totally misinterpreted.”
Evans continued: “Everything’s on Katya’s socials. She’s talked about it. She’s explained that it was a joke. She wasn’t offended in the least. She doesn’t feel uncomfortable.”
He then praised his friendship with Jones, adding: “We’ve got a brilliant friendship, an absolutely tight friendship, and I’m sorry if anybody was offended by it, but it was a joke and yeah, that’s all there is, there is no real story, really. And I feel weird apologising because I feel like I’ve not really done anything.”
Evans said: “I’m having the best time of my life. I just don’t want this to be the bit that people remember.”
15 October 2024: Katya calls her awkward interaction with Wynne a “silly inside joke”
After Evans continued receiving criticism, Jones jumped to his defence on Strictly companion show It Takes Two. The professional dancer said she “can’t bear” seeing Evans in distress over the situation, calling their interactions nothing more than an “inside joke”. However, Jones admitted the joke was “silly” and “bad”.
After Evans said he can see why viewers “may have misinterpreted” his hand placement, his professional partner continued: “The idea that it made me feel uncomfortable or offended in any way is total nonsense, and those that have doubts, you guys have got it wrong. So hopefully this will be the end of it, and you just keep making me smile.
“I can’t sit here watching this man being portrayed as someone he’s not. In fact, it couldn’t be further away from the truth. So I have to make this absolutely clear that this whole incident, with the hand and the high five on Saturday night, was an inside joke between Wynne and I.”
She then stated: “Was it a silly joke? Yes, was it a bad joke? Yes.”
17 November 2024: Wynne and Katya are eliminated from Strictly
After being voted off the show, Evans described being partnered with Jones as “amazing” and said he was “thankful to have met” her. He also asked everyone “at home to look after” the series “for the generations to come because it is a wonderful, wonderful thing”
19 November 2024: Wynne denounces media “lies” after being voted off Strictly
Evans hit out at what he said were “lies” reported by the media, stating on BBC Radio Wales Breakfast: “I’m still astounded that people are allowed to write any, for want of a better word, lies that they want. I’m disappointed that I’ve seen that side of life.”
He continued: “The Strictly family are perfect in every way. The press are a different kettle of fish.” Evans said the joke “was sadly misinterpreted”, and added: “I think just as we have to believe people when something really has gone wrong, we have to believe people when they say it was a joke.”
The eliminated contestant said he is “a much stronger person coming out of” the show due to the “pretty relentless” media interest
He also clarified why he swapped an appearance on companion show It Takes Two with fellow Strictly contestant – and eventual winner – Chris McCausland at the last moment – a decision he claims some reports conflated with behind-the-scenes tension. According to the opera singer, McCausland asked to swap as he wanted to visit a potential school for his daughter.
25 January 2025: Wynne apologises for “inappropriate” sexual comment at launch of live Strictly tour
Evans apologised after he made an “inappropriate and unacceptable” remark to It Takes Two host Janette Manrara during the Strictly live tour launch. MailOnline reported that Evans was caught on film suggesting a group sex session with Manrara and EastEnders actor Jamie Borthwick. The latter is said to have winced at the remark. In a statement, Evans said: “My language was inappropriate and unacceptable for which I sincerely apologise.”
25 January 2024: BBC addresses latest Wynne controversy
A spokesman for the Strictly live tour and BBC Studios: “We were not previously aware of the remark and did not receive any complaints. We have made it very clear to Wynne that we do not tolerate such behaviour on the tour.”
27 January 2025: Wynne’s travel show airs despite mounting pressure to pull episode
The BBC faced mounting pressure from viewers to pull Evans’ latest show, travel show All At Sea, which he co-hosts with Gavin & Stacey star Joanna Page – but the first episode aired as planned. The BBC is expected to air all six episodes.
28 January 2025: Wynne confirms Strictly tour departure and break from radio show
The Welsh star dropped out of the Strictly tour, revealing he would also “take some time out” from his radio show.
He said: “I’ve agreed with the BBC that I’ll take some time out from my radio show and the Strictly Live tour, as well as my other public commitments, to prioritise my wellbeing. I am deeply sorry for the pain my inappropriate actions have caused, and plan to take this time for self-reflection.
“Apologies to those I won’t get to see at the remaining performances and I’m grateful to my fellow tour gang for all the amazing support they have given me.”
28 January 2025: Katya says she “misses” Wynne after he quits tour
Jones let her feelings be known on the latest Evans controversy in a pair of Instagram posts. Sharing Evans’s statement, in which he said he “plans to take time for self-reflection”, Jones told her followers: “Let’s show humanity and consideration.”
She then added: “I will miss you my darling boy,” and, in a follow-up post, Jones posted a video of Evans at the previous night’s show, writing: “Really missed this tonight”. She accompanied the post with a sad-face emoji.
