Wynne Evans and Katya Jones have responded to fan concern over their interactions on Strictly Come Dancing on Saturday night (12 October).
Viewers became troubled by the opera singer, 52, and his professional partner’s behaviour after Jones was spotted moving Evans’ hand off her waist and back onto her hip in the background of one shot.
Later in the programme, fans also spotted Jones swerving a high five from Evans and rolling her eyes as they waited for the other contestants to be given their scores alongside host Claudia Winkleman.
Both clips of the seemingly uncomfortable interactions went viral on social media during the Strictly live show. “Something is off,” one person wrote on X/Twitter. “Drama is brewing,” another fan added.
Evans and Jones have since shared a video on social media reassuring viewers that there is nothing amiss between them.
“Hi everyone, it’s Wynne and Katya here. We just wanted to say, we were just messing around in the Clauditorium on Saturday night,” Jones said.
“We just wanted to say sorry. It was a silly joke,” the professional dancer added.
“Yeah. Sorry,” Evans said, adding in the video’s caption: “Apologies for this tonight we were just messing around. We really are amazing friends. The high 5’s [are] a running joke. Have a great evening.”
One fan responded in the comments: “Glad you’ve come out straight away to get rid of the nonsense! Loved your dance tonight.”
Meanwhile, another person added: “Katya, I’m so sorry this happened to you.”
Evans and Jones performed a Tango to “Money, Money, Money” by ABBA on Saturday night, which was heavily praised by the judges Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke.
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The Tango gave Evans and Jones their highest score of the competition so far with two eights and two nines taking them to joint second in the leaderboard with 34.
Du Beke declared the performance one of Evans’ most commendable dances with Mabuse adding: “I feel for me personally, this is your best dance yet.”
Meanwhile, Revel Horwood added: “Your thumb was sticking up, was a disappointment. But I love, love, loved it – Wynne, Wynne, Wynne!”