Inside Strictly star Wynne Evans' love life: from marriage split to new romance
Wynne Evans has been climbing his way up the leaderboard on Strictly Come Dancing, impressing both the judges and viewers at home with his high-energy routines.
The Welsh opera singer, who rose to fame as the star of the Go Compare insurance ads, is partnered with professional dancer Katya Jones in this year's competition and we've been loving watching their performances. But how much do you know about his life away from the cameras? Find out about his ex-wife, violinist Tanwen Evans, their marriage breakdown and his current relationship status…
Wynne's ex-wife, violinist Tanwen
For 16 years, Wynne was married to professional violinist Tanwen Evans, with whom he shares two children: a daughter, Ismay, and a son, Taliesin.
The former couple met while on the same British Youth Orchestra course, when Wynne was playing the starring role in a production of Robinson Crusoe. It was Tanwen who made the first move by putting a note in Wynne's pigeonhole at college, asking him out for a drink.
After Wynne popped the question at Cardiff Central station, the couple tied the knot in 1999.
Reflecting on his rise to fame after making his debut as Gio Compario in the Go Compare advert, Wynne revealed that Tanwen prefers a life out of the spotlight.
"Tanwen is very grounded," he told The Mirror in 2012. "My life has changed a lot and there's the whole – I almost don't want to say it as it sounds arrogant – but the whole fame and celebrity aspect to it. Tan is not like that at all."
Wynne's marriage breakdown and depression
In 2016, Wynne and Tanwen went their separate ways and the opera singer has been very open about how his marriage breakdown affected his mental health.
Marking Mental Health Awareness Week back in May, the BBC Radio Wales host shared his experience of depression following his marriage split.
"It was almost like grief, but you can't grieve for somebody that's still there," he explained. "So it really affected my mental health, my confidence and my ego - it totally changed me as a person.
"It made me very aware of being alone," he continued. "And even though I was only 46 I had this irrational fear of dying on my own. I had very dark thoughts and very dark days where I would contemplate all sorts of terrible things."
Describing how things came to a head one Easter Sunday, Wynne continued: "I realised that I wanted my life to be over and I did some stupid things.
"Then I went to seek some help with a proper psychiatrist and got on some medication, which for me was a good way of me helping me to help myself."
After buying an exercise bike and taking up running, Wynne noticed an improvement in his mental health and also lost seven stone. "Talking is important, but the most important thing for me is just running," he explained. "So if I'm at home and feeling a bit down I do 20 minutes on the treadmill and it's the best way to make myself feel brighter. It's like singing, which also releases endorphins in the body."
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Wynne's new girlfriend
Wynne has reportedly found love again with events manager Liz Brookes. According to The Sun, Liz has been supporting the opera singer in the Strictly audience.
Neither Wynne nor Liz have confirmed their romance, although the latter has appeared in photos posted on the Strictly star's Instagram page.
