Wynne Evans is proof that misogyny continues to thrive in the TV industry

Three strikes and you'll get a new travel show...

I’ve had some messages about covering the latest Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni updates and we’ll get to that this week, but while that one feels like it gets more complex by the day, the Wynne Evans Strictly scandal 2.0, seems pretty straight forward to me.

For those of you that didn’t sacrifice your Saturday evenings from September to December, Wynne, was a celebrity contestant on the 2024 series of Strictly Come Dancing.

Partnered with pro dancer Katya Jones, Evans was the 8th celebrity to be voted out and has now been reunited with his fellow cast members, as part of the Strictly tour, which is currently making its way around the UK.

Wynne, who is the operatic voice of that Go Compare advert, first caused a ruckus on the show, after appearing to grope Katya’s waist, as Claudia Winkleman presented, live.

The clip of Katya smiling through a grimace, as she moved Wynne’s hand away, quickly went viral. However, the pair both apologised and insisted, it was, “an inside joke”.

Here’s where the problem lies with that.

To be clear, Katya herself said it was a joke between the both of them, but, say she didn’t feel that way and say she was uncomfortable. The result for her, if Wynne was kicked off, would also mean she has to leave a show she has trained months for, potentially also missing out on earnings.

Not long after that, The Mirror, reported a source shared a “vulgar” joke, Wynne made to one of the makeup artists on the show.

According to this report, Wynne made a self deprevating comment about his double chin resembling a vagina.

Again, no complaints were made and based on that incident alone, I wouldn’t think anything of it, however, it shows a repeat pattern.

Wynne’s latest controversy is potentially the worst one yet and I don’t want to type it out, but I also think, in the day and age of, “You can’t say anything”, you need to hear the language used.

During a photocall for the tour, a Daily Mail reporter, who was present, caught Wynne, making an absolute gross comment towards It Takes Two presenter, Janette Manrara.

Janette walks into the group, to take her place inbetween Wynne and Eastenders actor Jamie Borthwick. To which Wynne says, “Not too close to Jamie” and then chuckles before remarking about “a spit roast”.

Can you imagine being at work and making a sexual remark to a man like that and if you are a man reading this, can you imagine saying that to any of the women you work with?

What I think is really worrying, isn’t just that it shows Wynne sees no problem with making gross sexual comments to women. But that he has the arrogance to do it in a professional setting, with reporters present.

Following the latest incident, Wynne made a statement to the BBC, calling his behaviour, “inappropriate and unacceptable”.

Additionally, a spokesperson for the Strictly Live Tour and BBC Studios said: "We have made it very clear to Wynne that we do not tolerate such behaviour on the tour."

"We were not previously aware of the remark and did not receive any complaints," the spokesperson added.

Why does someone have to complain for the BBC to act? Has everyone just forgotten how Amanda Abbington and Zara McDermott were publicly attacked for making complaints about their time on the show?

While Wynne is continuing with the Strictly tour, he is taking a break from his radio show on BBC Wales. However, his new BBC travel show - All At Sea - with Gavin and Stacey’s Joanna Page, still aired tonight.

It just amazes me that this behaviour is still allowed to go unchecked. You can have three strikes and still get your own travel show… if you’re a white, cis man, of course.

Meanwhile, the people that do suffer, are his female colleagues.

Poor Joanna Page, having her new show overshadowed by Wynne’s remarks. Not to mention, Janette, who is now getting hounded by the paparazzi, desperate to catch some kind of reaction.

If only we had the power of the Strictly judges in real life, to vote these misogynistic men off our screens (and stages).