Strictly's Katya Jones reveals what really happened with Wynne Evans
by Poppy Atkinson Gibson For Mailonline · Mail OnlineStrictly Come Dancing star Katya Jones has revealed what really happened with her dance partner after cameras caught her pushing his hand away during what appeared to be an awkward interaction on Saturday evening.
During the fourth live show, as host Claudia Winkleman revealed this week's voting lines were open, Wynne, 52, put his arm around Katya, 35, only for her to knock his hand away as it moved along her waist.
A second frosty moment saw the Russian dancer appear to shun her celebrity partner's attempts at a high five after Sam Quek and Nikita Kumzin's performance.
Standing with both hands outstretched, Katya seemed to deliberately turn her back on her partner instead of returning the gesture.
After eagle-eyed viewers expressed concern on social media, the pair took to Instagram to address the situation.
But the Russian dancer has clarified exactly what was going on during the eyebrow-raising interaction.
In a video shared to her Instagram on Sunday, the star explained that the whole episode was a misunderstanding and the two had an inside joke going on.
She called fan speculation about Wynne's wandering hands 'absurd' and reassured fans not to worry.
Read More
Inside the highs and lows of Katya Jones' Strictly career amid 'tensions' with Wynne Evans
In the clip, which she seemingly filmed from inside her home, the star was wearing a purple jumper with a pink collar and cuffs and had her long brown hair loose.
She said: 'Happy Sunday everyone. Now I need to make something crystal clear.
'The hand incident that happened on Saturday night was an 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 its complete nonsense.
'It's quite absurd actually. Can we focus on how brilliantly he's doing and what an amazing dancer he's become?'.
She then interrupted herself as her door buzzer was going off before explaining she had a delivery.
'Delivery, sorry got to go, lot's of love, bye!' she added before finishing her video as she made her way towards her front door.
But her fans were not all convinced as they took to the comments to ask what exactly the joke was while some raised concern that something so serious was being made light of.
Writing underneath the star's video they said: 'Your not explaining how it was a joke? I think it’s exactly how it come across on camera. You didn’t want his hand there, so moved it? Not a big deal'
'Not even funny to be honest in this day and age with everything that is going on so can’t see the funny side of this when people were genuinely concerned'
'Then why did your face say otherwise ?!'
Katya's recent video comes after the pair addressed the incident earlier in the day.
In the clip, Katya began: 'Hello everybody it's Wynne and Katya here. We just wanted to say we were just messing around in the Clauditorium on Saturday night and just want to say sorry.
'It was a silly joke,' as Wynne added: 'Yes sorry'.
Wynne then added in the caption: 'Apologies for this tonight we were just messing around. We really are amazing friends. The high 5's is a running joke. Have a great evening @katyajones'.
However, some fans were left unimpressed by the reasoning as only the high-five was addressed in the video.
Replying to the tweet, viewers wrote: 'Sorry guys how is that a joke? Ok the refusal to do the high five and the eye roll, yep get that, but the hand slowly moving across Katya’s stomach, and her moving it away and looking seriously uncomfortable?? How is that a “joke”'
'What about the bit where he had wondering hands and you moved them away off your stomach.'
'This is giving ‘we need to make this video or the producers will kick us off the show’ vibes.'
'We were more worried about the hand on the stomach that Katya moved because she was uncomfortable rather than the high five.'
'The high 5 thing isn’t what people care about.'
'It’s the wandering hand Wynne….might have been innocent but Katya looked uncomfortable- joke or not.'
Fans have been left even more convinced that something is wrong between the pair after an older clip of the two discussing training has re-emerged on X.
In the video, the professional opera singer asks the Russian beauty what she thinks of Wales.
He says: 'How do you like living in Wales?'
The ballroom dancer then replies: 'Wales is beautiful. It's welcomed me with gorgeous weather ever since I've arrived but apparently that's not the normal case - but spending nine hours with him in the room...'
As the star responds tot he question, Wynne pulls a face as she references the weather before turning back to her smiling.
Katya meanwhile makes a face as she makes the disparaging comment about her dance partner, squinting her eyes and dropping to a whisper.
While the professional singer seems to take the comments as a joke, fans are less certain and believe the could be more issues beneath the surface.
But while some fans have continued to worry about the duo, others were relieved to hear the incident was all a joke.
Fans took to X to express their relief writing: 'Awwwww bless that's a relief. Love you Wynne and Katya. You smashed it tonight loved the routine, never seen you not smiling Wynne.'
'Glad you cleared that up we worry about stuff you know.'
'Fabulous dance tonight, and we want lots more of them please!'
Strictly fans were left shocked after they first spotted the incident during Saturday night's show.
The couple have appeared to be getting on brilliantly during training and were third on the leaderboard with their sensational Tango for week four.
However, it seems tensions could be rising between the pair after fans took to Twitter after spotting awkward moments between the duo.
Viewers were quick to notice the toe-curling moment as they took to Twitter to share their reactions.
They penned: 'Anyone else see Katya push wynne's hand away'; ''Katya moving Wynne's hand away then….';
'Did anybody else just see Katya push away Wynne's hand - she did that awkward smile.'
'There was a really awkward moment towards the end of Strictly during judging where Wynne’s hand crept across Katya’s waist and she pushed it away';
'Urgh...just seen the clip of Wynne. Katya was clearly uncomfortable'.
Elsewhere, haring the video of the awkward high-five, one fan wrote: 'You left Wynne hanging again Katya'.
MailOnline has contacted Strictly, Katya and Wynne's representatives for comment.
Meanwhile fans have slammed the judges for 'overmarking' two of the show's contestants, insisting 'they must really want them to win'.
Wynne and Katya scored 34 for their Tango, receiving 8 points from Craig Revel Horwood and Anton Du Beck and nine from Shirley Ballas and Motsi Mabuse, making it his highest score so far.
Dancing the Tango to Abba's Money Money Money, the judges praised him for his high energy routine, with Anton saying it was 'tremendous' and 'one of your best performances.'
Craig said: 'You bum was sticking up - but I loved, loved, loved it. Winner, winner, winner.'
STRICTLY WEEK FOUR LEADERBOARD
Tasha Ghouri and Aljaz Skorjanec - Charleston to Unhealthy by Anne-Marie, Shania Twain - 39
Jamie Borthwick and Michelle Tsiakkas - Salsa to Danza Kuduro by Don Omar ft. Lucenzo - 34
Wynne Evans and Katya Jones - Tango to Money, Money, Money by ABBA - 34
Montell Douglas and Johannes Radebe - Viennese Waltz to Nobody Gets Me by SZA - 33
Shayne Ward and Nancy Xu - Cha Cha to Ain't No Love (Ain't No Use) by Sub Sub feat. Melanie Williams - 30
JB Gill and Amy Dowden - Rumba to You Might Need Somebody by Kara Marni - 30
Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell - Salsa to Down Under by Men At Work - 30
Pete Wicks and Jowitza Przystal - Quickstep to Town Called Malice by The Jam - 29
Sam Quek MBE and Nikita Kuzmin - Samba to Hips Don't Lie by Shakira - 28
Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola - Foxtrot to Birds Of A Feather by Billie Eilish - 27
Paul Merson and Karen Hauer - Quickstep to I Won't Dance by Fred Astaire - 23
Nick Knowles and Luba Mushtuk - Charleston to Rain on the Roof from Paddington 2 - 21
Punam Krishan and Gorka Marquez - Jive to 2 Be Loved (Am I Ready) by Lizzo - 20
Motsi agreed and said: 'This was your best dance yet, I've been waiting for this dance, I knew it was coming. What I love is that you guys give us a story...beautifully timed.'
Head judge Shirley Ballas was also full of praise and said: 'I got goosebumps, it was passionate and told a tale. You got out there and I could see you're in it to win it.'
However some fans didn't agree with the feedback and accused BBC bosses of giving out special treatment.
Some believed Wynne is a 'judges' favourite' and 'very cliquey' with them all.
Earlier this month, it was revealed Wynne has found love again after the breakdown of his 16-year marriage left him contemplating suicide.
The opera singer has been in a relationship with events manager Liz Brookes, 50, since earlier this year.
Wynne previously revealed he hit 'rock bottom' in the midst of his depression, stemming from the end of his marriage to Tanwen, the mother of his two children, in 2016.
But Wynne is now in a relationship with fitness fanatic Liz - who is said to have helped him lose weight ahead of Strictly.
A source told The Sun: 'Wynne and Liz met at an event and are taking things slow, but he’s excited about where the relationship might go.
Read More
Strictly Come Dancing fans STUNNED as they discover Chris McCausland's previous career
'He is in a much better place now than when his marriage ended. It's like night and day — and he is so happy.'
After losing an astonishing 7st in the past year – what he modestly describes as 'a bit of timber' - Wynne revealed even more weight has fallen off since signing up for the BBC One dance show.
'I'm more body confident. Looking in the mirror all day is a bit odd for me, because the mirror is something I always try to avoid,' Wynne told The Mail.
'But I'm really enjoying it. I haven't seen my neck in a long time. I feel like a giraffe!'
He puts his weight loss down to a calorie-controlled diet, long walks with his new love, events manager Liz Brookes, 50, and – of course – the physical demands of Strictly.
Elsewhere on Saturday night's Strictly Nick Knowles returned to the dance off after a week off following a knee injury.
The DIY SOS star, 62, took to the floor with his partner Luba Mushtuk, to perform his Paddington themed Charleston from Movie Week as production allowed him to carry his week three dance through after skipping last week's show.
Dedicating the dance to his 10-year-old son Eddie, judge Motsi Mabuse praised the star for his 'courageous return' as she confirmed 'your son will be proud.'
Speaking candidly to Claudia Winkleman after giving it his all on the dance floor, Nick admitted: 'This time last week I thought I was out so I am over the moon.'
Luba added: 'I am in absolute awe of this man and the determination. The fact that he has fallen in love with dancing is the most beautiful thing.'
Nick was told on Friday by medics he would be able take to the floor on Saturday to dance again, one week after the injury forced him to pull out of Movie Week.
And as he smiled alongside his partner Luba during the show's introduction, he looked delighted to be back on the floor.
Taking to Twitter Nick's performance received a mixed reception as viewers sympathised with his injury to varying degrees.
Many were left disappointed at the dance as they penned: 'Nick Knowles is back, just in time to be sent home'
'The judges are being very kind to Nick and giving him lots of concessions'; 'Why are the judges sucking up to Nick Knowles so much? That was not a good dance';
'Hhhmmm that actually felt like a lacklustre performance of the Charleston from Nick Knowles.
'I’m a little disappointed, mostly because he’s had x2 weeks to learn this routine and it just wasn’t as over the top full of goofy character at all'.
Others were more understanding of Nick's injury as they wrote: 'Nick 6 HUGE RESPECT to Nick not quit the show due to injury, I know this choreography is more easy than original one, but appreciate we can see it!'; 'Well done Nick'.