Strictly star Wynne Evans has broken his silence on his controversial ‘spit roast’ comment that left his career in tatters – claiming he was forced to apologise.
The opera singer, 53, denied it was a sexual jibe about a female presenter – as he lifted the lid on the incident in an explosive new interview.
In January, Evans – who is known for the Go Compare ads – was caught on camera seemingly suggesting a three-way sex session with presenter Janette Manrara.
The comment came at a photocall to launch the Strictly live tour and swiftly earned a rebuke from BBC bosses who told him: ‘We will not tolerate such behaviour.’
However, Evans has now insisted he was using the term ‘spit roast’ as a nickname for fellow contestant Jamie Borthwick.
He told The Sun: ‘It’s been heartbreaking. “Spit-roast boy” was a nickname we all gave [fellow contestant] Jamie Borthwick because he could contort his legs over his head like a spit-roast chicken.
‘I would be the first to apologise if I had used it in the double meaning of that word.
‘But it absolutely wasn’t meant sexually – and the fact I used ‘boy’, all right it’s nuanced, but it shows I was talking to Jamie, NOT Janette.’
In January, Wynne – who is known for the Go Compare ads – was caught on camera seemingly suggesting a three-way sex session with presenter Janette Manrara
Pictured: Wynne Evans and his partner Katya Jones on Strictly Come Dancing
Ms Manrara, 41, a professional dancer, was hosting the Strictly live tour
An apology was released on Evans’s behalf and he was subsequently suspended from Strictly Come Dancing’s live tour.
Evans has now claimed he did not see the statement before it was put out. It read: ‘My language was inappropriate and unacceptable for which I sincerely apologise.’
He explained his initial reaction to finding out he had offended someone was ‘oh God, I’m so sorry’ but this was taken as a formal apology by the press team.
Evans has now said he was placed on 24/7 suicide watch by an crisis team after the saga which has left his career in tatters.
The 53-year-old explained that he only found out that he had been fired from the show after he read it in the newspaper.
He described the past few months as ‘truly awful’ and insisted that he was not a misogynist.
Wynne said his errors on Strictly Come Dancing were simply pranks that backfired.
The ‘spit roast’ comment was captured on video and audio by a Mail on Sunday reporter at the official launch of this year’s tour at the Birmingham Arena.
Wynne can be seen standing in the middle of a line-up of 20 celebrities and dancers as Ms Manrara, who hosts the TV spin-off Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two, is summoned to join them.
During one of the live shows in October, Wynne put his arm around Katya only for her to knock his hand away
The incident was captured on video and audio by a Mail on Sunday reporter at the official launch of this year’s tour at the Birmingham Arena
As she approaches, Evans warns her with a grin: ‘Not too close to Jamie!’
A spokesperson for Ms Manrara previously said she had been ‘unaware of this comment by Wynne’ which was audible to our reporter filming with a mobile phone 20 yards away.
He then pulls a face at the actor, behind Ms Manrara’s back, as she moves between them. It was at this point that Evans made the controversial remark.
Seconds later, her dancer husband Aljaz Skorjanec, who was standing nearby, asks her: ‘Darling, are you OK?’ She replies curtly: ‘Yep.’
In addition to the ‘spit roast’ scandal, Wynne was also accused of ‘groping’ his dance partner Katya Jones, 35.
He was seen moving his hand over her waist in the Clauditorium.
Attempting to defuse the row, Evans and Ms Jones said they were ‘just messing around’ and that it was a ‘very silly inside joke’.
But two weeks later the Welsh tenor’s ‘jokes’ caused further controversy when he suggested to a make-up artist that the folds of his double chin looked like a vagina.
Evans apparently insisted his joke was self-deprecating, did not cause offence and was made in a private conversation with at least one other person in the room. It is unclear if a complaint was made or whether the incident was investigated.
A week after the ‘spit-roasting’ comment Evans appeared on The One Show to talk about the ‘banter’ on tour. He said: ‘It’s fun… Craig [Revel Horwood] called me yesterday, he said I was stompy and flat-footed.
‘So I said: ‘Have you heard your album, mate, that’s stompy and flat if ever I’ve heard it!’ So yeah, there’s quite a lot of banter.
‘He gave me a two yesterday, so I was absolutely gutted, just because I was a bit rude about his album.’
