Strictly Come Dancing professional Katya Jones has praised her former dance partner Wynne Evans as "incredible" despite his involvement in a recent controversy.
Welsh opera singer Wynne, 53, reportedly sent fellow Strictly contestant Jamie Borthwick, 30, a sex toy as a prank. The Mirror claims that the item was flaunted backstage during the Strictly live tour.
It is alleged that the incident was recorded and then circulated within the Strictly Come Dancing WhatsApp group, which includes celebrity participants from the show. A source told The Mirror: "As soon as BBC executives were made aware of this shocking and immature footage being shared they formally addressed the issue and reminded the pair they had to act professionally."
According to The Sun, EastEnders actor Jamie and Wynne were behaving "extremely immaturely" after the sex toy was delivered to the reception at Birmingham's Utilita Arena. They reported: "Bosses were horrified and shocked, hoping to nip the issue in the bud, unaware the video had been shared more widely."
The controversial video was reportedly filmed shortly after Wynne directed a sexual comment towards host Janette Manrara during the photocall for the Strictly tour. Following the incident, he was removed from the show, reports Wales Online.
After the events, Wynne issued an apology for the "pain" caused by his "inappropriate language" and has temporarily stepped down from his BBC Radio Wales show. The Mirror also reports that he has been dropped from the GoCompare adverts.
Katya, the 35-year-old Strictly star, shared her thoughts on her former dance partner Wynne with The Sun's Fabulous magazine, stating: "I can only obviously speak from my personal experience, but I thought Wynne was incredible.
"We spent a huge amount of time together and we had a brilliant partnership. We got on like a house on fire."
Despite rumours of tension following an awkward televised moment where Katya appeared to move his hand away and ignored a high-five, she clarified it was simply an "inside joke" that unfortunately "backfired" leading to negative public perception of Wynne.
Addressing concerns from fans, Katya reassured that her experience with Wynne was wholly positive, saying: "Wynne has never made me feel uncomfortable in any way. We've had the most incredible time together, which no one can take away from us.
"I look back fondly on it. I carried on with the tour without him, but it was a shame because we were having a fabulous time and the crowd loved him."
Meanwhile, Wynne is believed to be seeking "recompense" after being dropped from the Strictly tour. He recently posted a personal achievement on social media, cycling for 30 minutes and mentioning its benefits for mental health, accompanied by enigmatic hashtags "#truthwins #wynners."
