Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas has described professional dancer Katya Jones as "a little bit of a jokester" after a viral clip saw her moving celebrity partner Wynne Evans hand away from her waist.
A clip from Strictly’s live show on Saturday, 12 October, showing the incident, and 35-year-old Jones refusing a high-five from Evans, was widely shared on social media.
Following the incident, the pair apologised, saying the moment was a "joke", with Jones adding Evans had been "portrayed as someone he is not", and the 52-year-old opera singer saying he was "heartbroken" by the reaction to it.
Addressing the incident, Ballas, 64, told the PA news agency at the Pride Of Britain Awards: "I’ve had the privilege of getting to know Wynne, I’ve known Katya for 25 years, she is a little bit of a jokester all round that lovely child, and he is just the most phenomenal person you will ever meet."
She went on to speak about the BBC dancing show’s "off the chart" cast, singling out comedian Chris McCausland as bringing "light to everything he does".
Ballas told PA: "I think the cast is off the chart, when you go in on a Saturday morning it’s so full of atmosphere and love and jokes.
"Those comic people like Chris McCausland, you better see what’s lurking around the corners, because he’s so funny, and he brings light to everything he does, and of course, Pete (Wicks) is also very funny.
"So we’ve got a great cast and they all seem to have blended really, really well, there’s a great feeling backstage.
"They’ve turned up the judges’ mics now, we can banter with each other, I don’t know if you’ve noticed that.
"All in all, it’s just a tremendous show."
The long-running series is currently celebrating its 20th anniversary.
The incident came amid heightened scrutiny of the popular BBC One show after celebrities have spoken out about their treatment.
Chaperones have been put in place during rehearsals for this year after a review was launched by the BBC following Sherlock actress Amanda Abbington making complaints about her 2023 professional dance partner, Giovanni Pernice.
The BBC apologised to Abbington and said: "We have assessed the complaints and we have upheld some, but not all, of the complaints made."
Pernice has always denied the allegations and said he was "happy" after the investigation cleared him of the abuse allegations.
Strictly will return for a Halloween special on Saturday at 6.25pm, with the results show on Sunday at 7.20pm on BBC One.
Source: Press Association
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