- Go Wynne - 27th January 2026
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- Burn bridges… - 26th January 2026
The launch of a major campaign by a giant insurance company, fronted by a new star instead of disgraced Welshman Wynne Evans, highlights the appalling nature of what he did.
It also throws the spotlight on how close examination of high-level online messages reveal that even after this incident, he was offered an interview by the BBC yet then it was suddenly withdrawn.
Many of the corporation’s stars have hit the headlines for the wrong reasons, so a huge number of programmes they presented cannot now be transmitted, but they REFUSE to talk about them!
Mr Evans, from Carmarthen, was dropped by Go Compare after he had been recorded crudely suggesting a three-way sex session with Strictly pro dancer Janette Manrara during a photocall for the then forthcoming Strictly Live Tour.
He was forced to apologise soon afterwards, and declared that he had made an “inappropriate and unacceptable” remark, and now the insurance firm’s adverts are fronted by football icon Ian Wright as part of its new Now That’s Savvy campaign.
Mr Wright and not Mr Evans is now being promoted as the “face of savviness”, after what happened.
Meanwhile despite the incident involving Ms Manrara, emails that were posted online show how a journalist at BBC Radio Wales Breakfast had asked:“Would Wynne Evans be available to speaK to us anytime between 7-9am?”.
However he was informed soon afterwards: “Unfortunately we won’t be able to come to you tonight for a considered interview and do justice to the story and. for obvious reasons we won’t be able to offer a live interview tomorrow morning on radio”.
A bemused Mr Evans then told his followers online:“Yesterday I was offered an interview on Radio Wales and BBC Wales News about the BBC process and my new show. I emailed the director of BBC Wales (Rhuanedd Richards) to say I’d be delighted to do the interview ………weirdly after my email to the director they then emailed to say they didn’t have time to do it justice …..also for obvious reasons. I’m not sure what the obvious reasons are.”….
Before this it appeared that Mr Evans had tried to generate sympathy for his predicament.
Apart from denying the “spit-roast”‘ remark was a sex slur, he gave details to the Sun on Sunday (SoS) of his “terrifying” mental collapse.
MailOnline (MO) followed up the extraordinary story, and said: “Strictly star Wynne Evans has broken his silence on his controversial ‘spit roast’ comment that left his career in tatters – claiming he was forced to apologise. The opera singer, 53, denied it was a sexual jibe about a female presenter – as he lifted the lid on the incident in an explosive new interview.”
But this is not the first time that Mr Evans has made infamous news. Video footage obtained earlier by the SoS, showed that he seemingly sent a sex toy to EastEnders star Jamie Borthwick.
It was filmed just two days after Mr Evans was recorded making the vile “spit-roast” comment, and sees Mr Borthwick explaining that the toy was sent to Birmingham’s Utilita Arena reception by Mr Evans.
Queries following the string of scandals were sent before Christmas 2024 but apart from automated messages saying the requests for information had been received, there has been no response whatsoever, even though they had directly followed the alarming Gregg Wallace business.
As with Mr Evans, it was reported that Mr Wallace was stepping back (although it may not have been entirely voluntary for Mr Evans), but in this case it was from his role on MasterChef (MC) while allegations of historical misconduct were looked into.
An investigation by BBC News revealed that he is facing allegations of inappropriate sexual comments from 13 people who worked with him over a 17-year period.
Channel 5 was also examining accusations of ‘inappropriate behaviour’ by the presenter while making the programme ‘Gregg Wallace’s Big Weekends’ in 2019.
More alleged ‘inappropriate behaviour’ came to light afterwards, and BBC News has reported about the corporation: “It’s the last thing it needs, so soon after other high profile scandals including the disgraced BBC News presenter Huw Edwards. The BBC has questions to answer about the allegations over what it knew about Wallace’s behaviour on and off set, and – if it was alerted to these types of allegations – what it did about them. BBC News has been made aware of two occasions when complaints were made. One, by the radio host Aasmah Mir, related to Celebrity MasterChef in 2017.”
One Welsh former senior executive with the corporation said to us earlier: “The BBC is attempting to display decisiveness after the Huw Edwards & Savile scandals to help restore its public image. It’s cosmetic.
On the Wallace incident it was claimed that we saw: “Another slap on the wrist from weak executives who’re afraid to sack talent & put ratings first. He’s finished and the Beeb managers who let him carry on should be fired”.
All of this came on the back of many other terrible episodes where the BBC has made unfortunate news.
We have had the Amanda Abbington/Giovanni Pernice incident on ‘Strictly Come Dancing’, involving accusations of bullying and harassment.
There has also been the One Show and Match of the Day (MotD) presenter Jermaine Jenas episode, where once again there have been allegations of ‘inappropriate behaviour’, with reports saying, for example, that one female member of staff received unsolicited communications via text from him.
We have been treated to the Huw Edwards affair, and the Jimmy Savile scandal (which the former executive mentioned), with the full extent of what Savile did only emerging relatively recently.
All of these incidents have prompted front page news about the BBC in UK papers. The allegations concerning Mr Evans (and his replacement as a campaign front man), may be the latest, but we’ll start with the information about Ms Abbington – the BBC says it assessed and “upheld some, but not all” of her complaints about her time on Strictly, after she pulled out of the show last year and claimed later that there was a “toxic environment”, as well as that she had been subject to “inappropriate, mean, nasty bullying”.
In saying sorry, the massive corporation proclaimed: “We have assessed the complaints and we have upheld some, but not all, of the complaints made. We want to apologise to Amanda Abbington and to thank her for coming forward and taking part. We know this would not have been an easy thing to do”.
It also said in the apology statement that the BBC expects “…very high standards…”, so critics are entitled to ask why they apparently do not exist in the Media Office (MO), especially after the Mr Evans affair.
Mr Jenas, too, faced claims of ‘inappropriate behaviour’ and was sacked from the BBC over allegedly sending the ‘unsolicited’ texts to junior members of staff. Reports have claimed that one female worker received unsolicited communications via text from him which were supposedly ‘flirty’. Others then came forward according to The Sun. However, the source added there was “no suggestion of illegality” on Mr Jenas’s part.
Let’s not forget the incredible Jay Blades business. The Repair Shop star was accused of illegal acts in relation to his estranged wife, with the allegations including physical and emotional abuse, according to court documents. West Mercia Police (WMP) said he was charged after they were called to an address, following an Instagram post by Lisa Zbozen. A repeat of David & Jay’s Touring Toolshed was removed and the BBC will not show any programmes in which he features. He has pleaded not guilty to engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour.
We have also had Russell Brand. He was granted bail after appearing in court charged with sexual offences including rape.
He was charged with the rape of a woman in 1999 in the Bournemouth area, who alleges that after meeting him at a theatrical performance and chatting to him later in her hotel room, she returned from the toilet to find he’d removed some of his clothes. She claims he asked her to take photos of him, and then raped her.
Last month he was charged with two further offences including one count of rape, and has previously pleaded not guilty to five charges including two counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault in relation to four women.
A court has heard of another alleged victim, who has accused him of indecently assaulting her in 2001 by “grabbing her arm and dragging her towards a male toilet” at a TV station.
A radio worker has raised the accusation of being sexually assaulted between 2004 and 2005 by enduring “kissing” and “grabbing” of her breasts and buttocks.
The comedian, actor and author has denied all the accusations, saying that he has “never engaged in non-consensual activity”.
After everything that has happened, it seemed reasonable, therefore, to ask the BBC which programmes could not now be transmitted.
This is the (extremely polite) request our Editor, Welshman Phil Parry, put to their MO on December 19 2024, and he was encouraged because on the BBC’s website it is declared: “Enquiries from journalists will be responded to as quickly as possible”.
Hello.
I am Editor of a news website called The Eye.
Could you please answer the following questions:
1. In the light of the Gregg Wallace, and other affairs, what, if any, programmes are now not to be transmitted, and how many of them are there?
2. What, if any, changes have been made to your Whistleblowers’ Charter, and what are the dates of these?
3. What, if any, changes have been made to your safeguarding policies, and what are the dates of these?
Statements can be made by return to this address – it is checked constantly and is totally secure.
Thank you,
Phil Parry
To date, though, there has been NO reply apart from two automated messages saying that the requests had been received.
Perhaps these sort of questions are too difficult to handle, especially after a new advertising campaign has been launched which conspicuously does not feature a disgraced Welsh broadcasting star.
The memories of Phil’s astounding, decades long award-winning career in journalism (including his 23 years at the BBC), as he was gripped by the rare neurological disabling condition Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia (HSP), have been released in a major book ‘A Good Story’. Order it now.
Tomorrow – how during 23 years with BBC Cymru Wales (BBC CW), and 42 years in journalism (when he was trained to use clear and simple language, avoiding jargon), providing transparency over hush-hush political ‘deals’, has always been central, and nowhere is this better exemplified than in the supposed agreement today over Greenland.
