Wynne Evans is no saint and making an unpleasant lewd comment about another Strictly co-star – pro-dancer Janette Manrara in this case – is absolutely unacceptable.
But it’s sad to see another talented bloke lose his job over a silly mistake. I thought we’d all got over cancel culture and grown-up? Apparently not.
Wynne, was a talented opera singer before Strictly. It’s how he got the gig as That Annoying Man on the GoCompare adverts.
Now all that lies in tatters. Becoming a celebrity might have earned him a few quid and some extra fans but it also painted a giant target on his back.
It’s clearly made him fair game for everyone, especially the virtue-signalling keyboard warriors of social media who spend their time seeking transgression and waiting to pounce.
He’s not the first, and probably won’t be the last, to fall foul of a stupid comment like this.
Now, I’m not for a second condoning anything he might have said or done. But come on guys, surely we can see past a foolish joke that has spectacularly backfired?
No wonder we’ve got a generation of pale and stale celebrities who don’t do or say anything remotely interesting. Everyone’s absolutely scared stiff. I made my name by being outspoken, but I reckon I’d struggle now.
The first time I rudely cut someone off live on air during my radio show, when I was pioneering talk radio back in the Eighties in Leeds, I’d probably have been thrown off their air if we’d had social media… or I’d have been an even bigger star!
The thing is, we can all live in a boring, uncontroversial world if we want to. But where’s the fun in that?
I don’t mind Wynne leaving the Strictly Live Tour, but there’s no reason to disappear him completely.