Strictly Come Dancing star Wynne Evans has sparked fresh controversy for the BBC dance competition after apparently being caught making a crude remark behind the scenes of the Strictly live tour.
This comes after the Go Compare star, 52, was forced to pull out of the live tour due to a painful injury to his foot.
Evans found himself at the centre of controversy last year after his partner on the BBC dance competition, Katya Jones, appeared to forcibly remove his hand from her waist – and then rejected his offer of a high five.
The pair later passed the matter off as a ‘bad joke,’ and they eventually became the eighth couple to leave the dance competition in 2024.
The Welsh opera singer is now believed to have been captured making a crude comment during a photo event for the live tour, allegedly joking about a three-way with presenter and professional dancer Janette Manrara.
This comment is said to have earned him a reprimand from BBC bosses, who told him that such behaviour would not be tolerated.
In footage obtained by The Daily Mail, Evans posed for a photo opportunity with Manrara, 41, and the rest of the Strictly live cast.
It was at this point he is alleged to have made reference to a ‘spit roast’ – a three-way involving Marara and another contestant.
While Manrara’s reaction is obscured in the footage, EastEnders star and co-star Jamie Borthwick apparently winces at the comment.
Describing the moment, Mail journalist Dolly Busby wrote: ‘As I filmed, he made a deeply abhorrent sexual comment about a female colleague.’
She continued: It was frankly disgusting – and, as a young woman, I was appalled on her behalf and deeply offended myself.
‘Turning to the 30-year-old EastEnders actor Jamie Borthwick as they posed for a group photo, Evans suggested – joking, if you can call it that – a three-way sex act.’
Evans told The Mail on Sunday: ‘My language was inappropriate and unacceptable, for which I sincerely apologise.’
In a comment to the tabloid, a spokesman for BBC Studios and the Strictly Live tour producers 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 Evans was forced to pull out from two live shows this weekend, having suffered an injury to his ankle.
Taking to his Instagram story with the news, Evans shared a snap of his bruised foot, writing: ‘Turned my ankle last night in the show but I’m being a brave soldier.’
He issued a further update on Saturday, sharing another pic of his foot with the caption: ‘Ankle update. It just turned on stage in Newcastle.’
He continued: ‘Sore but swelling is coming out so feeling positive.’
While he was unable to dance, he did still take to the stage for the live shows – singing instead.
In a video update he said: ‘Ankle’s getting a bit better. It was great to be able to sing in Glasgow tonight even if I wasn’t able to dance.
‘Hopefully back tomorrow but watch this space I’ll let you know in the morning how the swelling goes down and all that kind of stuff.’
Strictly’s Wynne Evans forced to apologise for sick ‘threeway’ joke about co-star on live tour