Wynne Evans on Strictly and Go Compare advert that 'paid for his house'
The opera singer and dance partner Katya Jones speak to Radio Times about singing in Russian, Celebrity MasterChef and more.
As Gio Comparo, the twizzle-moustachioed hero of decades of car insurance, Wynne Evans became a familiar face on our TV screens – but now, the Welsh opera singer and radio presenter is about to become known for his footwork, fancy or otherwise, as he takes his first steps on Strictly Come Dancing.
With Katya Jones in the wings as his professional partner, will he be called back for an encore – or exit stage left?
Wynne, you've previously won Celebrity MasterChef. How does this compare?
Wynne: It is stressful. With MasterChef, I knew I had a bit of cooking in me. This is very different. Somebody said to me the other day, "Are you going to do the triple? You've done MasterChef. You've done Strictly. Are you going to do Naked Attraction?" Definitely not – it would be embarrassing for me, and disappointing for you!
You're obviously musical – but how does your dancing shape up?
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Wynne: It's a different language. If you gave me a piece of music, I could sight-read it, and I'd be comfortable performing it in front of thousands of people, but this is about memorising the dance steps.
Katya: I'm going to be like… [Katya, who is from Saint Petersburg, starts speaking Russian].
Wynne speaks Russian?!
Katya: He sang Russian opera to me, but he has no clue what he's singing. Neither did I. We had to Google it!
Wynne: I've done a lot of Russian operas. When I went on at Covent Garden very last minute at the Royal Opera House to sing Cherevichki, which is an opera by Tchaikovsky, Sergei Leiferkus, who was the baritone, had this look in his eye, as if to say, "What have you done to my language?" I saw the same look in Katya's eye.
Katya: What's the biggest crowd you've performed in front of?
Wynne: Maybe 85,000 at the closing of White Hart Lane when it was home to Tottenham Hotspur. I went to the pub beforehand, and everybody was going, "Oh my God, are you here to sing at the end of the last game at White Hart Lane?" Because it was a secret. They were going, "Who is it? Who is it? It's Adele. Adele is going to come out singing Glory, Glory, Tottenham Hotspur," because she's a Spurs fan. I was sitting in this pub, thinking, "You're going to be so disappointed when it's the Go Compare man, and not Adele."
How is Wynne doing, Katya?
Katya: I know there's not going to be any hair tossing! I always say the hardest thing to teach someone is music, and how to understand music and hear the beat. Luckily, that box is ticked. He's got the personality. He's got the fun. He's got legs and arms.
Wynne: Things are bad when you're saying, "He's going to be OK. He's got legs."
Katya: I've got this thing called assertive positivity. I truly believe that anybody can learn to dance, and that's what excites me. Yes, we sign up celebrities, but they all start from a blank canvas. Wynne's big personality is what people will expect from him, but everybody has a chance to reveal their true self, and their vulnerabilities. That's what this show does.
Wynne: When I knew our first dance was going to be the samba, I went straight on YouTube to watch it. I went for a run to our song, Help Yourself by Tom Jones, on a loop. It made me feel great.
Will you be wearing the famous Go Compare moustache for any of your routines?
Wynne: I've got the original at home in a frame, as it paid for my house.
Katya: Be grateful. Stay humble.
Wynne: Katya will soon be praying at the shrine of the Go Compare moustache. Can I ask you a question, Katya? You know how you've done Strictly since 2016? Do you ever get a bit like: [sighs]?
Katya: No – and the moment I do, I won't be here.
And because this is Radio Times... what have you been enjoying watching on TV lately?
Wynne: I love Married at First Sight. The last series of the Australian version was intense. I think it's because I'm quite nosey. I like the gossip. Katya loves it, too.
Actually, can you put something in Radio Times that Katya is looking for somebody eligible? And I'm vetting them, because I'm like her dad. I'm looking out for her. I do the same for my son on dating apps, it's great fun. He goes, "What do you think, Dad?"
A condensed version of this interview appears in the latest issue of Radio Times.
Strictly Come Dancing continues at 7pm this Saturday on BBC One and iPlayer.
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