1 week Ago By [email protected] (Julia Banim)
Wynne Evans and dance partner Katya Jones are one of the most talked about Strictly Come Dancing duos this year - navigating everything from rumour feuds to 'favouritism' allegations. Luckily, the Welsh opera singer has a supportive girlfriend, Liz Brookes, on hand to show her support. Despite enduring a rollercoaster journey, the Wynne and Katya are still going from strength to strength, with judges swept away by their most recent performance.
It saw them incorporate the Foxtrot, Tango, Waltz, and Viennese Waltz in a choreographed routine to Mika's Grace Kelly, in what proved to be yet another dancefloor success. But his girlfriend has had to jump to his defence after Wynne faced a furious backlash following Sunday's showdown, which saw Shayne Ward booted off. Strictly fans accused the judging panel of 'overmarking' Wynne and Katya's performance, which saw them earn an extremely impressive nine out of 10.
Taking to social media, one fed-up viewer sighed: "The overscoring and favouritism for Wynne continues." Another wrote: "Yeah it's a mystery to us all, I feel like I'm being gaslit into thinking this chump is actually a good dancer. I'll be P***ED if he gets to Blackpool week.
" If you can't see the poll, click here Rubbishing the negative comments, Liz, 50, defiantly declared that her talented beau had 'knocked it out of the park again!', finishing off her proud message on Instagram with a love heart emoji. Although Wynne, 52, is now happily loved up with Liz, he's had to deal with plenty of heartbreak along the way, with his painful divorce taking a devastating toll on his mental health. Carmarthen-born Wynne, who rose to fame as the 'Go Compare Man', was previously married to violinist Tanwen, who has enjoyed a prestigious career playing for the likes of the Welsh Sinfonia and the National Symphony Orchestra.
The two talented musicians first locked eyes as students enrolled on the same British Youth Orchestra course, and when the time came to propose, proud Welshman Wynne did so in a romantic fashion - asking for Tanwen's hand just as she hopped off a train at Cardiff Central Station. They said 'I do' in 1999 and went on to welcome children Ismay and Taliesin. Unfortunately, this melodic fairytale came to a screeching halt in 2016, when Wynne and Tanwen filed for divorce.
This marked the beginning of a period of profound anguish for the tenor, who has previously opened up about contemplating 'all sorts of terrible things' as his once seemingly perfect marriage crumbled around his ears. Earlier this year, Wynned marked the start of Mental Health Awareness Week with a candid chat with BBC Radio Wales about how the divorce had impacted him. Wynne shared: "It was almost like grief, but you can't grieve for somebody that's still there.
So, it really affected my mental health, my confidence and my ego - it totally changed me as a person." Revealing that he had been left plagued by a distressing fear, Wynne continued: "It made me very aware of being alone. And, even though I was only 46, I had this irrational fear of dying on my own.
I had very dark thoughts and very dark days where I would contemplate all sorts of terrible things. I think it's obvious what I'm saying, but I don't want to say it because some people find it distressing. I'm fine to talk about it now, but at that time nothing would help me.
I realised that I wanted my life to be over and I did some stupid things." Thankfully, Wynne has since found love again with events manager Liz, who reportedly encouraged him to boost his physical fitness ahead of entering the Strictly ballroom. It's understood that the couple met earlier this year after crossing paths at an event.
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. He is in a much better place now than when his marriage ended. It's like night and day — and he is so happy.
" Fitness buff Liz is believed to have played a significant role in Wynne's dramatic weight loss journey, which has seen the singer lose a whopping seven stone. The couple reportedly enjoy going for runs together, while Strictly's formidable training sessions have provided an exciting new physical challenge. Best of all, taking a more active approach to life has done wonders for Wynne's mental well-being.
He previously told WalesOnline : "So if I’m at home and feeling a bit down I do 20 minutes on the treadmill and it’s the best way to make myself feel brighter. It's like singing, which also releases endorphins in the body." If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123.
Alternatively, you can email [email protected] or visit their site to find your local branch Do you have a story to share? Email me at julia.banim@reachplc.
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