Kai Widdrington wades into Katya Jones and Wynne Evans 'hand incident' saga as fans spot involvement in ordeal
BBC Strictly: Kai Widdrington has shared his thoughts on Katya and Wynne controversy
BBC/PA
Kai Widdrington has shown his support for Strictly Come Dancing contestant Wynne Evans after he faced a barrage of criticism for his antics during Saturday night's show.
The singer and radio presenter has been paired up with pro dancer Katya Jones for the series and while their performances on the dance floor have impressed so far this series, Saturday night has left some viewers thinking there may be bad blood behind the scenes.
Two instances, in particular, have piqued the attention of BBC viewers following this past weekend's round of the competition, with one being Jones snubbing a high-five with her celebrity partner.
The incident occurred when Sam Quek and Nikita Kuzmin made their way up the steps to join their co-stars and Claudia Winkleman to hear their scores.
As the dancers and celebrities cheered them on, Evans was spotted holding his hands up for a high-five with Jones only to be left perturbed when she shot him a disgruntled look and turned her back to him.
Evans put his hands to his head and laughed the incident off with pro dancer Widdrington who witnessed the interaction.
BBC Strictly: Katya Jones rejected a high-five from Wynne Evans
BBC
Evans then planted a supportive hand on Jones' shoulder, which his pro dancer held as they listened to Quek discuss her routine with Winkleman.
Jones and Evans sparked rumours of a feud later in the show when the latter was spotted moving his hand across his partner's waist.
Occurring after Pete Wicks and Jowita Przystal's routine, Jones could be seen pushing Evans' hand away from her torso while they both kept smiling for the camera.
Since both instances, Evans and Jones issued a joint statement apologising for the high-five snub stunt, explaining it was an "inside joke", while the latter also issued a statement defending her celebrity partner for - what she described as - the "hand incident".
BBC Strictly: Wynne Evans also caused controversy with his hand on Katya's waist
BBC
And on Sunday evening, Widdrington weighed into the saga and seemingly backed the explanation that both incidents were part of an "inside joke" between the duo.
Widdrington took to Instagram to react to Jones' "hand incident" explanation by commenting: "Had the whole nation hook line and sinker @wynneevans," followed by a series of laughing emojis.
In the video, Jones addressed the incident as she defended Evans by explaining: "Happy Sunday everyone. Now, I need to make something crystal clear...
"The hand incident that happened on Saturday night was an inside - a very silly, very silly inside joke between Wynne and I.
"So even the idea that it made me feel uncomfortable or offended in me in any way is complete nonsense. It's quite absurd actually.
"Now, can we just focus on how brilliantly he's doing and what an amazing dancer he's becoming?"
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Appologies for this tonight we were just messing around. We really are amazing friends. The high 5’s is a running joke. Have a great evening @Mrs_katjones pic.twitter.com/MWM24b4keU
— Wynne Evans (@wynneevans) October 12, 2024
Despite the explanation and support from the likes of Widdrington, a handful of Strictly fans have reacted to the statements to express their dismay.
But soon after issuing her "hand incident" video, Jones ignored the naysayers as she shared another social media post thanking fans who'd supported her and Evans.
"Another week of dancing !!! thank you!" she began alongside a series of images from the fourth week of the contest. "Thank you so much for your kind support everyone! We are so excited for the next dance.
"Every day Wynne makes me smile and laugh, but every Saturday he leaves me absolutely speechless when he takes the dance to another level ! It is soo impressive and I can’t wait to create another number for you to perform! Week 5!!! Whoop whoop!!" (sic)
A Strictly source told GB News in regards to the saga: "Wynne and Katya have confirmed that their interactions in the Clauditorium were silly jokes they had planned together and have apologised to anyone who may have misinterpreted them.
"They addressed them on Wynne's Instagram, where their apology can be found. Katya would like to clarify further that she was not offended by Wynne and was not made to feel uncomfortable in the least.
"The welfare team have checked in on the pair and there are no further actions planned."