The pair orchestrated a strategic and controversial PR campaign to put an end to Strictly‘s ‘grope-gate’ scandal.
And last night Katya Jones was taking no chances of a repeat of dance partner Wynne Evans touching her waist again by standing next to her fellow professional Nancy Xu – who wrapped her arms around the Russian beauty.
As the BBC One show opened, Nancy was seen in what appeared to be a move to protect Katya, while the Welsh opera singer stood behind her with his arms firmly behind his back.
Whether it was yet another planned strategy to encourage Strictly fans – and the media – to insist there’s nothing to see here is unknown, but it isthe latest turn in the unedifying events that have engulfed the programme since Amanda Abbington‘s bullying claims.
Before last weekend, irrepressible opera singer Wynne was winning over millions of Strictly Come Dancing fans with his jollity and determination to learn to dance.
Katya Jones was taking no chances of dance partner Wynne Evans touching her waist again by standing next to professional Nancy Xu – who wrapped her arms around the Russian beauty
Best known for the Go Compare adverts, he was even lauded as the saviour of the embattled BBC show. But last week, the larger-than-life star was instead dealing with a barrage of criticism after viewers spotted his hand straying across Katya’s waist as they stood in the green room. It prompted the professional dancer to forcibly remove his hand, fixed grimace in place. Then, Evans tried to give Ms Jones a high five, but the Russian shot him a scathing look, rolling her eyes and turning away. Sources say they were deeply concerned that ‘grope-gate’ would hit their chances of winning.
So, what were they to do? They quickly hit upon an audacious publicity strategy – but The Mail on Sunday can reveal their bid to dismiss it as a joke has left some quarters of the BBC ‘absolutely enraged’.
So keen was Evans, 52, to protect his wholesome image that he hired the services of a crisis management PR. He and Ms Jones, 35, instructed Lou Plank, who has been working with Ruth Langsford through her divorce from Eamonn Holmes. She is, I’m told, not funded by the BBC and is not aligned with them.
Evans and Ms Jones immediately attempted to defuse the row, posting on social media to say they were ‘just messing around’ and that it was a ‘very silly inside joke’.
Ms Jones also said that ‘the idea that it made me feel uncomfortable or offended in any way is complete nonsense.’
Last week Evans was dealing with a barrage of criticism after viewers spotted his hand straying across Ms Jones’s waist as they stood in the green room
Evans said he was ‘heartbroken’ at the headlines it prompted, while Ms Jones demanded that the controversy ended. I’m told it was most certainly not the strategy preferred by the BBC.
An insider said: ‘There are some bosses here that are furious with Wynne for doing that and, clearly, it was felt by [him] and Katya that they were not getting the support they wanted from the BBC, so decided to do things their own way.
‘It is fair to say that the strategy was not joined up, it was a case of Wynne and Katya doing what they wanted, regardless of how the BBC felt.
‘The decision to bring in a crisis PR also just shows the level to which they are determined to save their time on Strictly.’ But one BBC source said Ms Jones writing off being touched as a joke was ‘definitely not in line with their increasingly woke culture’.
It got more sticky when the Women’s Aid charity stepped into the affair. In a statement, it said: ‘Inappropriate behaviour towards women is no laughing matter.
‘With an epidemic of misogyny and violence against women and girls in the UK, we need a media culture where women feel safe to speak up, where sexually inappropriate conduct is not trivialised or joked about. It’s important we challenge inappropriate ‘jokes’ so we don’t continue normalising toxic attitudes that cultivate these forms of gender-based abuse.’
I’m told some BBC bosses were ‘mortified’ at the charity’s intervention. They already had to deal with the fallout of pro dancer Graziano Di Prima being sacked in July for kicking his partner Zara McDermott last year.
Evans and Ms Jones’ approach to insist they are close friends –and that it was all a misunderstanding – continued on Friday. They posted pictures of themselves walking up a mountain close to Evans’ Cardiff home.
Last night, the pair danced a Quickstep to Mr Blue Sky by Electric Light Orchestra, and they scored 33 out of 40 points
They were hoping finally to have drawn a line under the controversy, but the aftertaste is lingering. The BBC did not deny hauling Evans and Ms Jones in for a telling off.
One insider said: ‘Why on earth would they tell her off unless it was for her downplaying of the situation?’
Evans, meanwhile, is said to be ‘very cross’.
Last night, the couple danced a Quickstep to Mr Blue Sky by Electric Light Orchestra, and they scored 33 out of 40 points. They did not address the scandal.
Former footballer Paul Merson, who gained 19 points with Karen Hauer, was praised for his ‘enthusiasm’ as a non-dancer.