Who is Wynne Evans? Meet Strictly Come Dancing 2024 contestant and broadcaster
Did you see this one coming?
Wynne Evans is officially part of the Strictly Come Dancing line-up – and we think he'll be incomparable.
The opera singer rose to national stardom for his years-long appearances on adverts for the insurance comparison website Go Compare, playing the moustachioed character known as Gio Compario (also known as 'the Go Compare Man').
In addition, he has performed on stage in numerous productions, including Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera, and can also be heard presenting on BBC Radio Wales.
During Saturday's launch show, it was announced that Evans had been partnered up with Katya Jones, who previously won Strictly in 2017. The pair also announced that their first dance would be the Samba to Tom Jones's Help Yourself.
Scroll on for more on who Wynne Evans is and what he has said about appearing on Strictly Come Dancing 2024.
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Who is Wynne Evans?
Age: 52
Job: Opera singer, radio presenter
Instagram: @wynneevans
X: @wynneevans
Strictly partner: Katya Jones
What has Wynne Evans said about joining Strictly 2024?
Wynne said in a statement: "I am honestly still pinching myself, a partly balding opera singer, me, taking part in Strictly Come Dancing?! I’m not entirely sure how I’ll get along, if all else fails I’ll just have to learn the art of distraction.
"What I do know is I will give it my all and aim to make Wales proud. I’m definitely going to try and combine my love of Opera into one of my routines.
"Plus, after winning Celebrity MasterChef last year, maybe the route to the judges’ hearts will be through their stomachs!"
In an interview with BBC Radio 2's Vernon Kay, Evans said that he was inspired by Bill Bailey's successful run on Strictly Come Dancing, in which he stormed to victory against the odds.
He explained: "The classic ballroom stuff is what I'm looking forward to the most. Obviously, for 20 years I was an opera singer so we did a lot of classic ballroom in operas. Not a huge amount, not to any great level.
"[But] I suppose that's the stuff I've got more affinity to... Viennese Waltz, stuff like that. The stuff I'm really nervous about is the stuff that needs any kind of jumping because I think I represent every portly, middle-aged father out there.
"I don't really want to do the Jive and set a minor tsunami off in North London. I'm a bit nervous about that but I'm taking inspiration from Bill Bailey because he was brilliant on it."
Strictly Come Dancing continues on Saturday 21st September at 7pm on BBC One.
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