Wynne Evans breaks silence on BBC Strictly 'hand incident' scandal as he insists 'I've not done anything!'

BBC Strictly: Wynne Evans has spoken out about the backlash to Saturday's show

BBC
Alex Davies

By Alex Davies


Published: 14/10/2024

- 12:06

The Strictly star returned to his morning radio slot on BBC Radio Wales on Monday

Wynne Evans has insisted it feels "weird" apologising for his behaviour on Saturday's Strictly Come Dancing after he and pro dancer Katya Jones caught the attention of viewers with their antics.

Evans has faced a barrage of backlash following Saturday's show after viewers spotted him moving his hand from Jones's waist to her torso during one section of the live show.


The pair also sparked rumours of a feud behind the scenes after Jones was spotted ignoring Evans when he attempted to plant a high-five on his partner.

Both Strictly stars issued a joint statement about the high-five incident soon after, explaining there was no bad blood and it was an "inside joke".

On Sunday evening, Jones used the same explanation to defend Evans following scrutiny of - what she described as - the "hand incident".

Evans avoided mentioning the "hand incident" over the weekend but speaking to his BBC Radio Wales colleagues on Monday morning, he addressed the saga and subsequent fallout head-on.

BBC Strictly: Wynne Evans

BBC Strictly: Wynne Evans had his hand pushed away by Katya Jones on Saturday night

BBC

"I'm absolutely heartbroken by the things that have been written about me in the last day," Evans told listeners.

"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.

"It was a stupid joke that went wrong, okay? We thought it was funny. It wasn't funny. It has been totally misinterpreted.

"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."

Delving further into their bond off-camera, Evans continued: "We've got a brilliant friendship, an absolutely tight friendship, and I'm sorry if anybody was offended by it, but it was just - it was a joke. And that's all there is.

"There is no real story, really," Evans continued before he admitted: "I feel weird apologising because I feel I've not really done anything.

"I misjudged it, yeah. You know me, if there's a joke, I'm usually at the centre of it."

Jones had previously insisted that it was "absurd" to suggest she was "offended" by Evans's behaviour during Saturday's show.

A BBC source told GB News in regard 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."

Meanwhile, fellow pro dancer Kai Widdrington has jumped to the defence of Evans and Jones after he was spotted laughing with the Welsh opera singer following the high-five snub.

Widdrington reinforced the suggestion the incidents were jokes with a comment on social media.

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