Professional Strictly Come Dancing performer Katya Jones defends celebrity partner Wynne Evans after ‘hand incident’ goes viral
A professional Strictly dancer has defended her dance partner after a viral video caused hundreds of people to suggest he had made her uncomfortable.
During Saturday night’s show, Welsh opera singer Wynne Evans slid his hand around the middle of Katya Jones’ waist, which she then pushed away.
The now-viral moment happened while host Claudia Winkleman revealed voting lines were open for this week’s show.
It caused hundreds of people on social media to speculate that Jones was uncomfortable during the interaction.
Wynne Evans. File pic: PA
A second clip of the pair then went viral of Evans, a Welsh opera singer, trying to high-five Jones and getting rejected.
After the pair began trending on social media, they posted a video together saying the high-five incident was just a “silly joke”.
Evans, who became famous for acting in the operatic Go Compare adverts, said in the caption on the post: “We were just messing around. We really are amazing friends.”
Now, Jones has responded directly to the clip of her moving Evans’ hand away from the middle of her waist.
“Happy Sunday everyone,” she said in a video posted to Instagram.
“Now, I need to make something crystal clear. The hand incident that happened on Saturday night was an inside – a very silly, very silly – inside joke between Wynne and I.
“So even the idea that it made me feel uncomfortable or offended me in any way is complete nonsense.
“It’s quite absurd actually. Now, can we just focus on how brilliantly he’s doing and what an amazing dancer he’s becoming?”
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A welfare team has also now checked in on the pair, according to the PA news agency, and no further action is planned.
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The couple danced the tango to Abba’s Money, Money, Money during Saturday night’s show, scoring 34 points.
This season marks Strictly’s 20th anniversary with a new cast of celebrities and some changes, including the presence of chaperones “at all times” during rehearsals, following a number of accusations of bullying on the show.
It came as DIY SOS star Nick Knowles became the third celebrity eliminated from the 20th anniversary series of Strictly Come Dancing after Sunday night’s results show.
Irish-language rap group Kneecap have announced a surprise London show, hours after one of their members was charged with a terror offence.
Liam O’Hanna, or Liam Og O Hannaidh, was charged with displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah, a proscribed organisation, at a concert in London last November, the Metropolitan Police said on Wednesday.
Just hours later, Kneecap announced on their Instagram account that “we’re back”, adding that they would perform at the 100 Club on Oxford Street, London, on Thursday night.
The post also included a quote by former Sex Pistols vocalist John Lydon, who told ITV’s Good Morning Britain the rap trio “maybe (…) need a bloody good kneecapping” after footage of the band allegedly calling for the deaths of MPs emerged.
Kneecap performing in Belfast last year. Pic: PA
Kneecap apologised to the families of murdered MPs last month, but said footage of the incident at their concert had been “exploited and weaponised”, adding that they “never supported” Hamas or Hezbollah.
The rappers had gigs cancelled after the footage emerged and politicians pushed for Kneecap to be dropped from the Glastonbury Festival line-up, with Tory leader Kemi Badenoch calling for Kneecap to be banned.
The group from Belfast in Northern Ireland is still set to headline Wide Awake Festival in south London on Friday.
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In response to O’Hanna being charged, Kneecap said that they “deny this ‘offence’ and will vehemently defend ourselves” and branded it “political policing” in a bid to “silence voices of compassion”.
The charge came after counter-terror police assessed a video said to be from a Kneecap concert.
In the footage, O’Hanna is allegedly displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, London, on 21 November last year.
Officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command were made aware of a video circulating online on 22 April and an investigation led to the Crown Prosecution Service authorising the charge, the force said.
O’Hanna – who performs under the stage name Mo Chara – is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 18 June.
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