Strictly Come Dancing star Wynne Evans has announced he will be withdrawing from the Strictly Come Dancing Live tour to "prioritise my wellbeing".
The singer and 'Go Compare' advert star, who competed in the 2024 series, shared a statement on his Instagram Stories announcing his intention to leave the tour, just days after he apologised for making an "inappropriate and unacceptable" comment during the live tour launch.
"I’ve agreed with the BBC that I’ll take some time out from my radio show and the Strictly Live tour, as well as my other public commitments, to prioritise my wellbeing," the statement begins.
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"I am deeply sorry for the pain my inappropriate actions have caused, and plan to take this time for self-reflection.
"Apologies to those I won’t get to see at the remaining performances and I’m grateful to my fellow tour gang for all the amazing support they have given me," he concluded.
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Earlier in the day, BBC Wales confirmed Evans' temporary departure from his Radio Wales Breakfast Show, though the station didn't clarify a reason for the break or address his return.
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Earlier this week, Evans issued an apology after an "inappropriate and unacceptable" comment was made during the Strictly Live Tour launch in Birmingham, which was recorded by The Mail on Sunday.
"My language was inappropriate and unacceptable, for which I sincerely apologise," he told BBC News.
A spokesperson for the Strictly Live Tour and BBC Studios also commented at the time: "We have made it very clear to Wynne that we do not tolerate such behaviour on the tour. We were not previously aware of the remark and did not receive any complaints."
The opera singer was previously at the centre of a controversy last October when his Strictly professional dance partner Katya Jones appeared to remove his hand from her waist during a live show.
The pair later clarified that they were "just messing around", with Jones also publicly stating that she didn't feel "uncomfortable" or "offended" by the incident.
Strictly Come Dancing airs on Saturdays on BBC One, while spin-off Strictly: It Takes Two airs on weeknights on BBC Two. Both shows are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
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Emily is an experienced freelance entertainment writer and editor, reporting on all things TV, film, soaps and showbiz. An NCTJ-qualified journalist, with a First Class Honours degree in Journalism from the University of Sussex, Emily is a former Deputy News Editor and Evening News Editor at Digital Spy. She has previously worked at Hello magazine, BBC South News and GoodtoKnow.
A small and big-screen obsessive – with subscriptions to every TV and film service under the sun – Emily knows her movie stars from soap stars, and is always clued up on the latest reality show dumping, just-dropped trailer or off-screen spat. She's interviewed a number of celebrities over the years, with highlights including The Masked Singer host Joel Dommett and GMB's Kate Garraway (who "loved" her trousers).
Emily counts Sharon Horgan and Julia Davis as her TV heroes, and is a loyal Wes Anderson fan. LinkedIn
