Strictly star ‘meeting BBC this week’ after being forced to take time off
Talks are set to get underway.
Wynne Evans is reportedly set with a 30-page dossier for his BBC showdown this week.
The 53-year-old GoCompare opera singer, who appeared on Strictly Come Dancing last year, is set for talks with the broadcaster as he tries to keep his spot on BBC Radio Wales following recent controversy.
He was scrapped from the Strictly live tour after being caught on camera making an inappropriate comment during a photo call with other stars.
He made a joke about having a threesome, or ‘spit roast’, with Strictly presenter Janette Manrara, and the BBC told him such behaviour would not tolerated.
He later apologised ‘for the pain my inappropriate action caused’ and has since remained out of the spotlight.
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Now, a source has told The Sun: ‘As far as Wynne is concerned, he has been wronged. He understands the language he used was not appropriate but it’s all been taken so out of context.
The opera singer appeared on last year’s series of Strictly (Picture: Guy Levy/BBC/PA Wire)‘Wynne has got a legal team in his corner and he has a 30-odd page dossier which he thinks will help his case.’
After stepping back from his radio job in the wake of the incident, Wynne is now hoping to make a comeback.
‘He absolutely loves his job on BBC Radio Wales and having to step back from it in the wake of his [Strictly] dismissal was heartbreaking,’ the insider added.
A friend said: ‘This has hit Wynne hard. His Radio Wales job means so much to him and he will fight to keep his role there.’
He was initially set to meet BBC bosses last month, but it was reportedly postponed over mental health concerns.
His planned meeting with the BBC will reportedly go ahead this week after the delay last month (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)‘The stress of what has happened to his reputation has been weighing heavily on his mind,’ a source told The Sun.
‘The decision has been made to postpone the meeting by a couple of weeks to allow Wynne time to get his head straight.’
He is said to be ‘ready to fight’, and the newspaper previously reported that he felt like he had been ‘treated unfairly’.
It’s claimed he thinks there is ‘a case for loss of earnings’, plus ‘unfair dismissal’ and ‘a potential breach of contract’.
Insiders also claimed to the publication that Evans’ ‘spit roast’ comment was not aimed at Manrara, as had been reported, and that he feels that was known by others present at the photo call.
Wynne has apologised for his language on the Strictly tour (Picture: Jordan Mansfield/Comic Relief)It had previously been reported that Evans’ co-stars were ‘rallying around him’ and Manrara had ‘nothing but affection’ for him, while she has yet to publicly comment on the situation.
Following the incident, Evans released a statement after he was given a warning over his disgusting ‘joke’ by tour producers, saying: ‘My language was inappropriate and unacceptable for which I sincerely apologise.’
He also wrote on Instagram: ‘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.
‘I am deeply sorry for the pain my inappropriate action have caused, and plan to take this time for self-reflection.’
Metro has contacted Wynne Evans’ representative for comment.
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