Wynne Evans has been sensationally axed from the Strictly Come Dancing Live tour following the emergence of a video showing him making a vile sexual remark towards co-star Janette Manrara.
The incident occurred at the launch of the tour in Birmingham, where Evans was recorded making an inappropriate comment when Manrara approached the group. He sang out, “Go Compare,” before adding, “Not too close to Jamie [Borthwick],” followed by the demeaning term “spit roast” in reference to a lewd sexual act.
Evans apologised for his comments, calling his language “inappropriate and unacceptable,” and expressed regret to The Mirror. However, it was reported that he has since been removed from the tour. He had already pulled out of the Glasgow shows due to injury, and a source close to the tour said he would not be returning.
“He’s had repeated warnings about his behaviour and was told to rein it in,” the source revealed. “He’s not been taking it in, and in this day and age, the BBC have to be seen taking action and safeguarding everyone. He has a lot of support from many of the backstage dancers, but it’s a sad ending to what had been a really fun tour.”
Despite Evans’ apology, which tour producers reportedly accepted, it appears that it was not enough to save his spot on the tour. The insider explained that Evans had “fully agreed” that his comments were inappropriate and was given a warning after meeting with tour producers. However, they emphasised that this kind of behaviour would not be tolerated.
Evans, who has faced previous controversies, was also involved in an incident on the BBC show, where he was criticised for allegedly inappropriately touching his professional dance partner Katya Jones live on TV. The pair later defended the moment as an “inside joke.”
In addition to these incidents, Evans reportedly made a “vulgar” joke backstage, which was leaked. He allegedly joked that his double chin resembled a vagina while getting his make-up done. Though the remark was defended as a self-deprecating “dad joke,” it caused backlash.
The BBC confirmed they had previously warned Evans about his behaviour and made it clear that such remarks would not be tolerated on the tour. A spokesperson for the Strictly Live Tour and BBC Studios 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.”
Evans is reportedly receiving mental health support following the incident.
