Wynne Evans to leave BBC after Strictly controversy

Wynne Evans presented a daytime show on BBC Radio Wales

Radio host Wynne Evans has announced he is leaving his BBC Radio Wales show after the broadcaster "decided not to renew" his contract.

He had been taking time off his daytime show after apologising for making what he described as an "inappropriate and unacceptable" comment during the Strictly Come Dancing live tour launch in December.

"I won't be returning to my radio show. I'm gutted," he said in an Instagram post, adding that he would be launching a new online radio show.

The BBC said Evans "is not returning to the mid-morning show on BBC Radio Wales and there are currently no plans to work with him".

Evans, 53, was recorded making a sexualised remark at the Birmingham Arena as the group prepared for a photo on stage.

"My language was inappropriate and unacceptable, for which I sincerely apologise," he said in a statement.

He described his BBC Radio Wales show, which launched in 2016, as not "just work", but "home".

He announced he would be launching The Wynne Evans show on a new app, a move he described as "terrifying" and "exhilarating".

Evans' behaviour during Strictly Come Dancing attracted attention from viewers over what some described as awkward incidents.

This included Katya Jones appearing to turn down a high-five from Evans and move his hand from her waist during an episode in October.

The duo later said the high-five moment was a "running joke" between them, while Jones said it was "complete nonsense" that Evans' hand on her waist "made me feel uncomfortable or offended me in any way".

In an interview with The Sun newspaper broadcast this week, Evans addressed many of the controversies from the Strictly series.

Of a sexualised remark he made, he said it was "taken out of context" and was in fact part of a nickname for fellow contestant Jamie Borthwick.

Evans was also asked about an incident in which he sent a sex toy to Borthwick, saying "that was a joke that went too far".

"Unfortunately on that occasion I blurred the lines between professional and social," he said.

He also spoke of the incident in October when Jones moved Evans' hand from her waist during an episode, describing it as a "body language experiment" the pair had seen on social media.

Asked if he had enjoyed his time on Strictly, he said he would not do it again.

"For some people it's absolutely the right thing to do, it just wasn't the right thing for me," he said.

An opera singer, Evans is known as the face, and voice, behind the Go Compare adverts, and also has had two number one classical music albums.

As well as BBC Radio Wales, he has previously presented on BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM, while also winning Celebrity Masterchef.