Katya Jones and Wynne Evans show the strain as they head to training after days of trying to defend their awkward Strictly Come Dancing exchange

Katya Jones and Wynne Evans show the strain as they head to training after days of trying to defend their awkward Strictly Come Dancing exchange

As a seasoned observer of the Strictly Come Dancing scene, I must say that this year’s edition seems to be brimming with unexpected twists and turns. The friendship between Formional_dancer and her partner has certainly caught everyone’s attention, and while some might find it intriguing, others have raised eyebrows.


As I strode towards my Strictly Come Dancing rehearsals on Tuesday, I couldn’t help but notice the air of concentration and focus emanating from Katya Jones and Wynne Evans. They were clearly gearing up for a challenging day ahead.

Over the past week, the dancing duo has been explaining and justifying their uncomfortable interaction that occurred during the Saturday night live performance, when spectators noticed an awkward instance where Katya gently disengaged Wynne’s hand from her waist and declined his effort to high-five her.

This week, the 52-year-old opera singer and his professional dance partner, 35, have been putting in a lot of effort, taking breaks only to address interactions. However, on Tuesday, they appeared noticeably subdued instead of their typical cheerful demeanor.

With a hint of exhaustion etched on their features, neither Katya nor Wynne managed a grin as they strolled towards their training facility in Wales.

Katya Jones and Wynne Evans show the strain as they head to training after days of trying to defend their awkward Strictly Come Dancing exchange

Katya Jones and Wynne Evans show the strain as they head to training after days of trying to defend their awkward Strictly Come Dancing exchange

The appearance occurred several hours following their emotional debut on the Strictly Come Dancing spin-off, It Takes Two.

Katya spoke up for her famous companion, stating that he’s been misrepresented, implying he isn’t the person depicted in recent events. They both claim the ‘playful prank’ involving his hand wandering was merely a harmless joke.

During his Monday evening television interview, Wynne acknowledged that he had re-watched the event footage and admitted, “It’s clear to me now how others might have misunderstood it.

With a tight grip on his arm, Katya expressed her inability to tolerate the criticism her fellow actor is facing, and she sympathized since she believes he’s not at fault for it.

She said: ‘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.’

She added: ‘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. 

Let me clarify something very clearly: The incident involving the hand gesture and the high-five on Saturday night was nothing more than a private joke shared between Wynne and myself. Was it a bit of a silly joke? Absolutely, was it perhaps not the best choice? Certainly.

Due to the incident, there was significant worry within the higher-ups at BBC, who had been battling allegations of misbehavior in past shows for several months. As a result, they launched an investigation into the wellbeing of those involved.

Katya Jones and Wynne Evans show the strain as they head to training after days of trying to defend their awkward Strictly Come Dancing exchange
Katya Jones and Wynne Evans show the strain as they head to training after days of trying to defend their awkward Strictly Come Dancing exchange

According to the source, the Strictly welfare team separately visited each member of the duo to ensure everything was fine and they were both content to carry on with their partnership.

Researchers in the training room have carefully documented activities during rehearsals for every famous duo, including Wynne and Katya, who are no exception to this practice.

If the welfare team hadn’t detected any signs of misconduct or potential issues, it means that everything was in order.

‘There hasn’t been and they consider the matter closed.’

The BBC confirmed that no further actions are planned. 

Wynne, who has starred in the GoCompare adverts for over a decade, claims that he has been left ‘heartbroken’ by the fallout after some Strictly fans called for him to be axed from the show.

Katya Jones and Wynne Evans show the strain as they head to training after days of trying to defend their awkward Strictly Come Dancing exchange

On BBC Radio Wales, during his daily program, Mr. Evans expressed deep sadness over the negative remarks about him that have surfaced recently, saying, “I’m utterly devastated by what has been said about me in the past day.

He shared: “I’m utterly devastated by the comments made about me over the past day.

As a lifestyle enthusiast, I must admit, I’ve found myself pleasantly surprised by the impressive performance of the dancing duo in this year’s Strictly competition. Their captivating tango on Saturday earned them an impressive 34 out of 40 points from our discerning judges.

In a less than ideal era, it’s important to note that Katya and I share an incredibly strong bond and are great friends. Last Saturday evening, we exchanged a rather silly jest.

Originally, we intended the remark as a humorous jab, but in hindsight, it fell flat. Unfortunately, it seems our attempt at humor was misunderstood entirely.

All details regarding that matter can be found on Katya’s social media platforms. She has addressed it openly, clarifying that her initial response was merely a jest. There’s no hint of being upset or feeling uneasy about it whatsoever.

Katya Jones and Wynne Evans show the strain as they head to training after days of trying to defend their awkward Strictly Come Dancing exchange

Our friendship is exceptional, incredibly strong, and I apologize if anyone felt uncomfortable by it; it was meant as a jest. To clarify, there’s not much more to it – just a simple joke with no deeper meaning behind it.

‘And I feel weird apologising because I feel like I’ve not really done anything.’

During an interview on Radio Wales Breakfast prior to hosting his own program, he acknowledged that he had made an error in judgment about something, and reaffirmed his enthusiasm for participating in Strictly Come Dancing, stating he is “definitely looking forward” or “still eager” to do so.

He mentioned: “I’m absolutely loving every moment right now. I hope these times won’t be the ones people focus on later.

On Sunday, Evans and Jones posted a video on Instagram explaining that their amusing antics from the ‘Clauditorium’ the night before were merely a jest, and they wanted to apologize for any misunderstanding caused.

On the platform once known as Twitter, the dancer responded to multiple users by saying: “You caught our wit!” or alternatively, “You noticed our humor!

Katya Jones and Wynne Evans show the strain as they head to training after days of trying to defend their awkward Strictly Come Dancing exchange

In another moment on Saturday night, Jones appeared to not want to high five her celebrity partner.

A caption alongside their video explained that ‘high fives is a running joke’.

However, Sunday night’s results audience seemed unconvinced by the given explanation, instead pointing out instances where it appeared that Jones may have been glaring at her famous dance partner.

During the show, Claudia asked Evans how he felt, noting he looked shocked.

Wynne exclaimed: “I’m astonished! I never thought I’d make it through the first week, so being here after performing a tango is incredibly exciting.

‘And I had such a good time and thank you to Katya’s clever choreography.’

During Evans’ response, spectators noticed that Katya kept a stern expression, and it seemed like she winced slightly as the opera singer appraised his performance.

Katya Jones and Wynne Evans show the strain as they head to training after days of trying to defend their awkward Strictly Come Dancing exchange

For this year’s Strictly Come Dancing, chaperones have been assigned during rehearsals as a precautionary measure following a BBC review initiated due to Amanda Abbington, the actress from Sherlock, expressing concerns about her professional dance partner, Giovanni Pernice.

The BBC expressed their apologies to Abbington, stating that they’ve reviewed the grievances and found some of them to be valid, while others were not upheld.

Pernice consistently refutes the accusations, expressing satisfaction following the investigation that found him not guilty of most abuse claims.

In a statement released in September, the BBC detailed the updated duty of care protocols for their upcoming show, stating that new training and rehearsal guidelines implemented in July will be enforced throughout this year’s production.

Here’s one way of paraphrasing that sentence:

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2024-10-16 13:04

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