Wynne: I wanted to end my life over Strictly remark scandal

WYNNE Evans struggled to hold back tears yesterday as he opened up about the Strictly Come Dancing scandal, saying it took him into the “darkest spot” of his life.

- BY LAUREN DEL FABBRO, HOLLY MORGAN and STEPHANIE COLDERICK

The Welsh tenor, 53, known for the GoCompare insurance advertisements, competed in the recent series of the BBC dancing programme alongside professional Katya Jones.

Evans recently announced that he had been dropped by the BBC and will no longer present on BBC Radio Wales following an apology, saying that he used “inappropriate language” during the launch of the Strictly Come Dancing tour.

The apology came after the Mail On Sunday reported in January that he aimed a sexual joke at one of the other professional dancers, Janette Manrara.

While appearing on ITV'S This Morning yesterday, Evans, from Carmarthen, emotionally admitted that the “relentless” Strictly scandal left him suicidal.

He said: “I've had clinical depression since 2016, diagnosed. It took me into the darkest spot of my life.

“I was at my lowest ebb. I wanted to end my life. I would have if I hadn't been surrounded by people.”

Reflecting on a particularly poignant moment with his now-fiancée, Liz Brookes, Evans fought back tears as he recounted: “At one point one of the newspapers was so relentless, I remember saying to my girlfriend, ‘I have to kill myself, I have to, because this is what they want.”

Evans expressed gratitude for the steadfast support from his nearest and dearest, stating: “I was on the crisis team for a month, and they just looked after me the whole time.”

He detailed how committed his personal network had been, ensuring he was constantly cared for: “My friends, family, and girlfriend had a rota so they could be with me 24 hours a day, sitting up with me because it was just so relentless.