Strictly Come Dancing’s Wynne Evans breaks silence over response to ‘hand incident’ with professional associate Katya Jones

Strictly Come Dancing contestant Wynne Evans says he’s ‘heartbroken’ by the response to skilled associate Katya Jones shifting his hand from her waist throughout Saturday night time’s reside present.

The pair have each apologised, saying the second was a ‘joke’ after a clip displaying the incident was broadly shared on social media.

The controversy is over a second when Wynne appeared to slip his hand throughout Katya’s waist, earlier than she pushed him off. Later within the present, Evans supplied his associate a excessive 5, which she ignored earlier than turning again to the digital camera, stone-faced. 

It comes amid heightened scrutiny of the favored BBC One dancing present following celebrities being outspoken about their therapy on the long-running collection, which is at the moment celebrating its twentieth anniversary yr.

Opera singer Wynne, 52, recognized for the Go Evaluate insurance coverage adverts, mentioned offended response from followers was ‘tedious’ and admitted the ‘joke’ was ‘not humorous’.

He informed BBC Radio Wales: ‘I am completely heartbroken by the issues which were written about me within the final day.

The awkward interplay comes after Katya was pressured to dismiss rising rumours of a feud after she was caught swiping his hand away following their reside efficiency on Saturday

‘It isn’t good to reside in that point, however principally Katya and I are actually, actually shut and we’re actually good pals, and on Saturday night time we made a silly joke. 

‘It was a silly joke that went flawed, okay, we thought it was humorous. It wasn’t humorous. It has been completely misinterpreted.

‘Every part’s on Katya’s socials. She’s talked about it. She’s defined that it was a joke. She wasn’t offended within the least. She would not really feel uncomfortable.

‘We have a superb friendship, a completely tight friendship, and I am sorry if anyone was offended by it, but it surely was a joke and yeah, that is all there’s, there isn’t a actual story, actually.

‘And I really feel bizarre apologising as a result of I really feel like I’ve probably not performed something.’

He agreed he had ‘misjudged it’, when interviewed on Radio Wales Breakfast earlier than beginning his personal present on the station, and confirmed he was ‘completely nonetheless up for’ Strictly.

He mentioned: ‘I am having one of the best time of my life. I simply don’t need this to be the bit that folks keep in mind.’

The radio presenter additionally mentioned he was discovering the furore ‘tedious’, and mentioned individuals can tune in to listen to the pair focus on it on spin-off present Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two.

Because the dancing duo gave the downlow about any secret romances happening behind-the-scenes in a current interview, Wynne randomly steered the query onto Katya

Wynne requested: ‘I’ve not seen anybody [getting close], are you getting near anybody?’

On Sunday, Wynne and 35-year-old Russian dancer Katya launched a video on Instagram saying they had been ‘simply messing round within the Clauditorium on Saturday night time and simply wish to express regret. It was a foolish joke’.

And replying to a number of customers on X, previously Twitter, the dancer mentioned: ‘You picked up on our joke!’ 

In one other second on Saturday night time, Jones appeared to not wish to excessive 5 her celeb associate.

A caption alongside their video defined that ‘excessive 5’s is a working joke’.

However viewers of Sunday night time’s outcomes present weren’t satisfied by the reason, claiming that they had noticed Katya showing to ‘glare’ at her celeb associate. 

Through the present, Claudia requested Wynne how he felt, noting he appeared shocked.

Wynne replied: ‘I’m shocked as a result of I did not suppose I might survive week one so to be right here after having performed a tango is admittedly thrilling.

‘And I had such a superb time and thankyou to Katya’s intelligent choreography.’

As Wynne gave his reply followers noticed that Katya remained stony confronted and even appeared to wince because the opera singer evaluated his efficiency.

A Strictly supply mentioned: ‘Wynne and Katya have confirmed that their interactions within the Clauditorium had been foolish jokes that they had deliberate collectively and have apologised to anybody who could have misinterpreted them.

‘They addressed them on Wynne’s Instagram, the place their apology will be discovered.

‘Katya wish to make clear additional that she was not offended by Wynne and was not made to really feel uncomfortable within the least.

‘The welfare workforce have checked in on the pair and there are not any additional actions deliberate.’

The duo had their highest rating to this point on Saturday, with the judges giving them 34 factors for his or her tango to Abba’s Cash, Cash, Cash on Saturday.

Strictly’s Wynne Evans, 52, requested Katya Jones, 35, if she’s ‘getting near anybody’ on the BBC present throughout a current interview collectively

Shocked, Katya replied: ‘Me?’ Wynne mentioned: ‘Yeah. I do not know, I’ve not seen you getting shut [with anyone], although you could possibly be’

Chaperones have been put in place on Strictly throughout rehearsals for this yr after an evaluation was launched by the BBC following Sherlock actress Amanda Abbington making complaints about her 2023 skilled dance associate, Giovanni Pernice.

The BBC apologised to Abbington and mentioned: ‘We have now assessed the complaints and we now have upheld some, however not all, of the complaints made.’

Pernice has at all times denied the allegations, and mentioned he was ‘glad’ after the investigation cleared him of the abuse allegations.

Outlining the present’s new obligation of care measures in September, the BBC mentioned: ‘In July, we launched new measures for coaching and rehearsals, that are in place for this yr’s present.

‘These included a manufacturing workforce member current throughout coaching room rehearsals always; two new roles on the present devoted to welfare assist – a star welfare producer and an expert dancer welfare producer (each began work in August); and extra coaching for the skilled dancers, manufacturing workforce and crew’.