BBC Strictly Come Dancing star Wynne Evans apologises after 'inappropriate' sexual comment
Strictly Come Dancing contestant Wynne Evans has admitted to making an inappropriate sexual comment towards another dancer during the BBC live tour, and has issued a public apology.
The opera singer was filmed at a photo call event for the tour's launch in Birmingham, where he made comments that appeared to make others uncomfortable. He is currently touring with his dance partner Katya Jones, but has faced disciplinary action from BBC chiefs following the incident, reports The Mirror.
The singer, known for his operatic role in TV commercials, was at the photocall with the entire cast, including JB Gill, Tasha Ghouri, Montell Douglas, Shayne Ward and Jamie Borthwick, when he was caught on camera singing "Go Compare", followed by a cautionary "Not too close to Jamie".
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As fellow dancer Janette positioned herself between him and another star, Evans mentioned a vulgar sexual term, uttering the derogatory phrase "spit roast", which was captured in a video published by the Daily Mail. The footage reveals some uneasy chuckles while the GoCompare spokesperson appears to smirk.
Following the release of the video, the Strictly celebrity openly acknowledged his mistake and expressed regret for his language choice. Wynne Evans stated to the Mirror: "My language was inappropriate and unacceptable for which I sincerely apologise."
The BBC said that it had cautioned Evans regarding his conduct during the live tour. A spokesperson for the Strictly Live Tour and BBC Studios said: "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."
This comes after the controversy stirred by the GoCompare advert actor during his stint on Strictly, when the 52-year-old was seen placing his hand on the waist of his professional dance partner Katya, an action perceived by some as inappropriate. Katya was observed brushing his hand away while they were in front of the cameras.
Both Wynne and Katya dismissed the claims, describing them as a "silly inside joke," yet some viewers remained sceptical. This prompted Katya to address the matter on It Takes Two, where she expressed:"Sorry Fleur [East], sorry, I will get onto dancing I promise but can I please first get something out of the way that I feel like overshadowed our performance for absolutely no reason and quite frankly, actually, I can't bare sitting here watching this man [Wynne] 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 it was an inside joke between Wynne and I. Was it a silly joke? Yes! Was it a bad joke? Yes!" At this point Wynne interjected with: "Yeah and I've watched it back, I can see how people may have misinterpreted it."
Katya went on: "Yeah but however, it was a joke and even the idea that it made me feel 'uncomfortable' or 'offended' in anyway is total nonsense. Those that have doubts, you guys have it got wrong! So hopefully this will be the end of it. You [Wynne] just keep making me smile, please!"