Wynne Evans, the opera singer and former BBC presenter, has launched a paid supporters club that offers members the chance to win a long weekend at his house in Llansteffan, Wales.
Evans, 53, is charging fans £4.10 a month for individual membership or £6.50 for a couple to join the "Wynner" supporters club on his website. Members are entered into quarterly competitions, are offered priority bookings, receive a club newsletter and other advertised perks. Evans posted on Instagram that the first quarterly draw was scheduled "TOMORROW" and urged followers to "subscribe by 9am to be in it." He said the prize is a Friday-to-Monday stay at his three-bedroom house that "sleeps up to 6 in three double beds." He added: "me not included – promise, it’s all yours!"
Evans launched the club after his departure from the BBC in May. According to a Daily Mail report, the BBC did not renew Evans's contract after he made a comment about professional dancer Janette Manrara that the Mail described as an abhorrent "spit roast" remark at the Strictly Come Dancing live tour launch. The same reporting also detailed Evans's subsequent claims that illegal drug use occurred on the Strictly production, which he is said to have raised with the BBC's director general and in a legal submission earlier this year.
The allegations of drug-related offences prompted action by both the BBC and law enforcement. The corporation engaged external lawyers, Pinsent Masons, in July to examine claims that two Strictly stars had used cocaine, the BBC has said. The Metropolitan Police confirmed to the Daily Mail that it received an allegation about drug-related offences on Aug. 12 and that "further inquiries are taking place to establish whether there is evidence of a criminal offence." No arrests have been reported.
The developments have fuelled a row within and beyond the programme. Daily Mail reporting cited an unnamed BBC insider who said the corporation had stood by another Strictly star accused by Evans, describing that person as being handed a central role in the new series despite the external inquiry. An unnamed source quoted by the Daily Mail criticised Evans's actions, saying he was seeking revenge after his contract was not renewed.
A BBC spokesperson said: "We have clear protocols and policies in place for dealing with any serious complaint raised with us. We would always encourage people to speak to us if they have concerns. It would not be appropriate for us to comment further." The corporation has declined to provide additional details while its review and related inquiries continue.
Evans, who now hosts a radio show on his own website, described the supporters club on the site as a way for fans to "get really involved in keeping the show going & growing by joining the Supporters Club," signing off the message "W xx." He has used social media to promote the club and the quarterly competition prizes.
The launch of the supporters club and the prize draw come amid ongoing media coverage and official enquiries into the allegations tied to the flagship Saturday night show. Broadcasters, police and legal teams continue to assess the situation as the new Strictly series approaches its broadcast season.