Strictly Come Dancing's Wynne Evans faces exit from the show - after Katya controversy

Wynne Evans and Katya Jones with their Strictly co-stars
-Credit: (Image: BBC)


It has been a difficult week for Strictly Come Dancing's Wynne Evans, with the opera singer spending the past three days explaining himself after cameras caught Katya Jones moving his hand away from his waist - after rejecting a high-five from him and seeming to roll her eyes.

It was, they have both insisted, a light-hearted moment that only they would understand, with the 52-year-old Go Compare star saying: "It was a stupid joke that went wrong, OK? We thought it was funny. It wasn't funny. It has been totally misinterpreted." Katya agreed and the BBC show's welfare team carried out a brief investigation with "no further actions" taken.

Katya Jones and Wynne Evans on Strictly
Katya and Wynne both say a moment when she pushed his hand away was a joke -Credit:BBC
Wynne Evans dancing with Katya Jones on Strictly
Bookies say this week's performance could be their last of the series -Credit:BBC/Guy Levy

However, with just a few days until the dance floor beckons again, things could be about to get difficult for the pair once more.

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Surviving another week on Strictly Come Dancing would mean a place in the following week's Halloween show - but bookies put Wynne and Katya in the firing line ahead of this week's performance. Odds setters believe they, alongside football star Paul Merson and Dr Punam Krishan, are the most likely to be sent packing by judges and, crucially, viewers at home.

Alex Apati of bookmakers Ladbrokes, who have put the odds of Wynne being eliminated this weekend at just 4/1, said: "Paul is once again leading the way in the Strictly elimination betting, but punters reckon Wynne could be sent packing this weekend."

The precarious position comes despite getting a quartet of strong scores from the judges on Saturday - with two eights and two nines adding up to 34, meaning the pair were just behind Tasha Ghouri and Aljaž and Jamie Borthwick and Michelle.

However, bookies believe they are so likely to go this week that they've placed them in the Top 3 most likely couples to be axed, ahead of Pete Wicks, Sam Quek, Shayne Ward, JB Gill, Montell Douglas, Sarah Hadland and Chris McCausland - who is currently the front-runner to win the entire competition.

Katya has addressed the hand-moving moment on both her own social media and Strictly's spin-off show It Takes Two. Speaking to host Fleur East, the 35-year-old said: "The idea that it made me feel uncomfortable or offended in any way is total nonsense.

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Strictly Come Dancing pro Katya Jones speaking on Monday
Katya defended her dance partner Wynne on Strictly: It Takes Two -Credit:BBC

"And those that have doubts, you guys have got it wrong. So hopefully this will be the end of it, and you just keep making me smile. I can't sit here watching this man being portrayed as someone he's not."

On Sunday Strictly viewers were forced to say goodbye to Nick Knowles and his partner Luba Mushtuk after they wound up in the dance-off against Shayne and Nancy - having received just 21 points from the judges.

Both couples performed their routines again - Shayne's Cha Cha to Ain’t No Love (Ain’t No Use) and Nick's Charleston to Rain on the Roof from Paddington 2 - but Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke all chose to save Shayne. Head judge Shirley Ballas added that she would have joined in with that decision if her vote had been needed.

A tearful Luba told Nick: “I’ve never met someone as determined as you, and I remember you saying that if you do your best, you’ll be very happy. I think you did more than your best. Thank you.”