Strictly Come Dancing star Wynne Evans has come under fire after claims he behaved inappropriately towards his dance partner, Katya Jones, while on air during Strictly’s Saturday live show (October 12).
Footage of the tense exchange has left viewers baffled – but both have denied claims of anything untoward, with Katya dubbing the assumptions as “absurd”.
Despite their attempts to set the record straight, a body language expert has alleged that there is “more than meets the eye” when it comes to their joint apology video and viewers are even less convinced by their appearance on It Takes Two.
Expert weighs in on Strictly stars Wynne and Katya’s behaviour
In a chat with the Daily Star, celebrity psychic and body language expert Inbaal Honigman has had her say.
She claimed: “Their apology clip is probably the most telling piece of footage, as they are both evidently uneasy. Wynne’s smile is a frozen, fake grimace known as a rictus grin. His lips are stretched but his eyes don’t join the smile. We can clearly see a skin fold between Wynne’s eyes which signifies tension. Katya’s face is perfect and doesn’t betray any emotion, but as she speaks, she shakes her head from side to side, as if to say ‘no’.
“When this happens, the person doesn’t agree with what they’re saying. So when she says ‘we were just messing around’, while shaking her head from side to side, it really says that they were not just messing around. There’s more to this than meets the eye,” she claimed.
“Katya and Wynne’s clips make for uncomfortable viewing – not only the little snippets on the show, but more so the apology clip.”
Katya Jones and Wynne Evans respond to backlash on It Takes Two
Last night, October 14, the pair appeared on It Takes Two and attempted to clear the air, however, it seemed to spark even more outrage with some viewers exclaiming that they were blatantly lying!
One penned to social media: “We don’t believe you.”
Another fumed: “No. Not buying it I’m afraid.”
A third chimed in: “I like Wynne and Katya but I think they’re lying when they say ‘it was a bad joke between them.'”
Another penned: “Just watched Katya’s ‘it was a joke’ explanation on It Takes Two but he sits there not saying a word?? Their whole performance tonight was completely false and forced!”
Viewers defend Wynne and Katya
Other Strictly viewers rushed to Wynne and Katya’s defence, with one stating: “Ignore the haters, think you two are fabulous. Keep being you.”
Another said: “Ignore the haters, you two are amazing. Keep bringing the magic.”
A third agreed: “Loving your partnership with Wynne and keep up the bants.”
Katya said on the show: “Quite frankly, I can’t bear sitting here watching this man being portrayed as someone he’s not and, in fact, it could not be further away from the truth.
“So I have to make this absolutely clear. This whole incident with the high five and the hand on Saturday night was an inside joke between Wynne and I. Was it a silly joke? Yes. Was it a bad joke? Yes,” she explained.
“And I’ve watched it back and I can see how people may have misinterpreted it,” chimed in Wynne.
Katya then cut in and insisted: “However, it was a joke. And even the idea that it’s made me feel uncomfortable or offended in any way is total nonsense.”
Strictly pro Katya Jones speaks out
Despite the swirling headlines, Katya has also spoken out in another defiant statement on her social media. She said of the incident: “Now I need to make something crystal clear. The hand incident that happened on Saturday night was a very silly, very silly inside joke between Wynne and I. So even the idea that it made me feel uncomfortable or offended me in any way is complete nonsense.
“It’s quite absurd actually. Can we just focus on how brilliantly he’s doing and what an amazing dancer he’s becoming?”
Elsewhere, Wynne also responded.
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Strictly contestant Wynne Evans issues apology
Speaking on BBC Radio Wales on Monday, where he hosts a show, Wynne shared: “I’m absolutely heartbroken by the things that have been written about me in the last day.”
He continued: “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.”
View this post on Instagram
He went on to say: “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.
“We’ve got a brilliant friendship, an absolutely tight friendship, and I’m sorry if anybody was offended by it, but it was a joke. And that’s all there is. There is no real story, really.”
Katya would like to clarify further that she was not offended by Wynne and was not made to feel uncomfortable in the least.
The Strictly pair also responded on Wynne’s social media with a clip taken over the weekend. The duo appeared to address a moment where Katya snubbed Wynne’s attempt to high five her.
‘The welfare and production teams have checked in on the pair’
They penned in the caption: “Apologies for this tonight we were just messing around. We really are amazing friends. The high five is a running joke. Have a great evening.”
A BBC source said: “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 – she has also clarified on her Instagram. The welfare and production teams have checked in on the pair and there are no further actions planned.”
ED! has contacted Wynne and Katya’s representatives for comment.
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