Strictly’s Wynne Evans laughs off controversy by dressing because the DEVIL for Halloween week – however followers declare he was ‘lacking’ for a lot of the episode

Strictly Come Dancing viewers claim Wynne Evans was ‘missing’ for most of the Halloween special on Saturday as he laughed off recent controversy by dressing as the devil.

The Welsh star, 52, who has recently been caught up in a ‘wandering hand’ incident, transformed into a red devil alongside partner Katya Jones. 

As the spooky special kicked off, hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman introduced the couples as well as the judges and Wynne was seen wearing the dazzling red costume complete with red devil horns.

However, viewers quickly noticed that Wynne and Katya disappeared for over 30 minutes as they failed to appear on the raised platform with Claudia and the fellow celebrities.

‘Where’s Wynne and Katya not been seen with Claudia all episode; Where’s Katya and Wyn?; Are they deliberately keeping Wynne & Katya away from the cameras?;

‘Is Wynne not allowed to be with Claudia and the other contestants at the top of the stairs? Have not seen him there all show.’

Wynne and Katya did eventually appear to perform their Salsa which they earned a total of 31 points for before disappearing once again. 

When contacted by MailOnline BBC representatives insisted that Wynne and Katya were in the ‘Clauditorium’ throughout the show, despite fans not seeing him.

It comes after Wynne found himself in further controversy after a ‘vulgar’ joke he reportedly made behind-the-scenes has been ‘leaked’.

The opera singer is reported to have quipped that his double chin resembled female genitalia as he got his make-up done backstage.

Insiders claim that Wynne made the unsavory joke ahead of the BBC contest’s glitzy launch show and was said in a private conversation with a make-up artist.

A source told The Mirror: ‘It was a bit of a vulgar dad joke.’

The publication states that at least one other person was in the room at the time, adding that the make-up artist was not offended by Wynne’s joke.

It is said that while formal complaints were made, staff members were not amused.

The insider went on to add: ‘Wynne clearly didn’t mean any offence, but you have to be a little bit careful these days.’ 

A friend of Wynne’s is said to have claimed that Wynne’s cheeky comment was ‘a slice of self-deprecation’ and said confidentially to the make-up artist while others were present. 

MailOnline have contacted representatives of Strictly and Wynne for comment.  

The alleged joke came weeks before the Welsh singer and actor was embroiled in a ‘wandering hand’ incident with his professional partner Katya Jones.

Viewers spotted the toe-curling moment Katya moved Wynne’s hand away from her waist and snubbed his attempt at a high-five with her. 

The dance partners had spent the week defending their awkward exchange during a live show two weeks ago. 

However, it was since reported that the BBC gave the pair an extra chaperone as a result. 

The Sun reported that they had extra eyes on them and that the whole crew and staff were asked to be vigilant because of the incident while the next episode was filmed.

A source said: ‘Instead of just one, they had a chaperone each and the whole crew were generally on high alert.

‘It was considered a way to prevent any other foolish jokes but also protect Katya if Wynne’s waist-grab wasn’t the joke they insist it was and was indeed a grope.

‘Either way, bosses felt like it would be prudent to get extra eyes on them to prevent any more misdemeanours.’

The BBC were contacted by MailOnline for comment at the time.

The incident caused such concern among BBC top brass, who have spent months firefighting accusations of misconduct on previous series, that a welfare investigation was conducted. 

Katya had confirmed that she had not felt uncomfortable and no further action was taken.

However despite this the publication claims that Wynne and Katya ‘barely spent any time together off camera’ on Saturday.

Katya has defended her celebrity partner, declaring he has been ‘portrayed as someone he is not’, as the pair insist his ‘wandering hand’ incident was a silly joke.

On last week’s It Takes Two, Wynne admitted he had watched the footage of the incident back and confessed: ‘I can see how people may have misinterpreted it.’

But fans are still yet to be convinced and were left cringing on Saturday by Wynne and Katya’s ‘awkward’ return to the dance floor.

The pair performed a quickstep as they attempted to shake off the toe-curling viral moment that saw Katya move Wynne’s hand away from her waist and snubbed his attempt at a high-five with her.

Fans were left with a sour taste in their mouths by the couple’s VT before they took to the floor, branding it overly ‘wholesome’ and ‘cosy’ in a bid to put rumours of their feud to bed.