STRICTLY’S Katya Jones’ hand gestures have given away how she really feels about the ‘grope’ scandal, a body language expert has said.
Reuniting publicly for the first time since speculation kicked off, Russian dancer Katya, 35, furiously defended the opera singer on It Takes Two on Monday evening.
It was just hours ago that Wynne, 52, revealed his “heartbreak” over the row on his BBC Radio Wales show.
The GoCompare face, who was seen with his hand around Katya‘s waist over the weekend, said it was “a stupid joke that had gone wrong”.
Now, a body language expert has shared her thoughts as Katya spoke out on the Strictly spin-off this evening, and verified his account, telling host Fleur East she “can’t bear” the fan frenzy that’s followed.
Expert Judi James told The Sun that Katya was ‘in denial,’ and revealed the ‘emphatic gestures’ that confirmed it for her.
She said: “Poor Katya has been on the Strictly sofa hot seat before, only this time the ‘denial’ demands were different as she tried to persuade us that she and current partner Wynne actually are close buddies despite their very curious body language displays on the weekend.
“With a rather awkward, chastened-looking, apologetic video tucked under their belt it would all be down to the visual proof of their claims that a shared love of playful fun made their odd body language rituals just some kind of standing joke between them.
“Katya led this ‘denial’ performance firmly and emphatically, interrupting the normal interview to address the problem head-on and dramatically.”
Judi explained what led her to this observation, as she claimed Katya’s ‘pale-lipped facial expression and tone made her look and sound close to tears.’
She continued: “Her fingers spiked with emotion and her head shook from side to side in what looked like denial and disbelief.
“She performed a double point to ‘this man’ beside her before holding onto his arm. She raised both hands in the air and crossed them more than once in an emphatic denial gesture and added a double-handed precision pinch in case anyone hadn’t got the message.”
On Wynne, Judi added: “Wynne watched her closely with an anxious, vulnerable eye expression. As Katya described what they did as a ‘bad joke’ she looked at him to take over. Wynne’s steepled thumbs suggested a desire to register status but his fingers seemed to pick nervously.
“Katya clung to his arm like a limpet, gazing at him and he patted her had in an endorsement gesture for her speech.
“And then it was all about moving on to their next routine with Katya doing some uproarious, open-mouthed laughter with her head thrown back at most things Wynne said, holding his arm and shouting about the ‘Fun fun fun!’ they were going to put into their performance this week.”
After being asked how she found their routine on Saturday, ballroom pro Katya replied: “Sorry Fleur, sorry. I will get on to dancing I promise, but can you at least let us get something out of the way that I feel overshadowed our performance for absolutely no reason.”
She then went on to fight Wynne’s corner, telling the X Factor alum that the wanted to set the record straight for viewers.
Katya said: “Quite frankly, I actually can’t bear sitting here watching this man being portrayed as someone he’s not and in fact it couldn’t be further away from the truth.
“I have to make this absolutely clear that this whole incident with the hand and the high five on Saturday night, it was an inside joke between Wynne and I. Was it a silly joke? Yes. Was it a bad joke? Yes.”
Wynne added: “Yeah, I watched it back and I can see how people may have misinterpreted it.”
Katya continued: “However it was a joke and even the idea that it made me feel uncomfortable or offended in any way is total nonsense.
“And those that have doubts, you guys have got it wrong. So, hopefully this will be the end of it and can you just keep making me smile please because my Sunday was pretty boring without you making me belly laugh.”
BBC viewers thought they’d seen Katya refusing to high-five Wynne on Saturday night – sparking rumours of a fallout.
After Strictly’s Week Four wrapped, the duo – who had performed a Tango earlier in the night – were quick to issue a video apology and insisted it was all an innocent “inside joke”.
Today, Wynne told his listeners: “I’m absolutely heartbroken by the things that have been written about me in the last day.
“It’s not nice to live in that time, but basically Katya and I are really, really close and we’re really good friends, and on Saturday night we made a stupid joke.
“It was a stupid joke that went wrong, OK?
“We thought it was funny. It wasn’t funny.
“It was been totally misinterpreted.”
The broadcaster then gushed over his “brilliant friendship” with the Russian and added: “Everything’s on Katya’s socials. She’s talked about it.”
Despite fans demanding the pair clarify exactly what “the joke” was, Wynne didn’t explain any further.
He said: “She’s explained that it was a joke. She wasn’t offended in the least. She doesn’t feel uncomfortable.
“We’ve got a brilliant friendship, an absolutely tight friendship, and I’m sorry if anybody was offended by it, but it was a joke.
“And that’s all there is. There is no real story, really.”
PURE BANTS
Wynne was referring to the video Katya had uploaded to her social media pages this weekend.
The clip – posted shortly after the online chaos ensued – saw Katya tell fans: “Hi everyone, it’s Wynne and Katya here, we just wanted to say we were messing around in the clauditorium on Saturday night and we just want to say sorry.”
She added: “It was a silly joke.”
While Wynne echoed: “Yeah, sorry.”
Katya then hit back a second time in a another video upload.
On Sunday afternoon, Katya returned to Instagram with another message for her fans.
She said: “Happy Sunday everyone. Now, I need to make something crystal clear.
“The hand incident that happened on Sunday night was indeed a very silly inside joke.
“So even the idea that he made me feel uncomfortable or offended me in anyway is complete nonsense.
“It’s quite absurd actually.
“Now can we just focus on how brilliant he is doing and what an amazing dancer that he’s becoming.”
The pair’s banter came after the BBC series was engulfed in a string of scandals – though there is no suggestion Katya and Wynne’s joke was inappropriate.
The findings of a probe into former Strictly professional Giovanni Pernice’s behaviour were published earlier this month.
The report upheld six out of 17 allegations against pro dancer Gio.
The BBC has now apologised to his former show partner, actress Amanda Abbington, over the programme’s bullying scandal.
It was claimed the corporation spent an eye-watering six-figure sum on the investigation.
Meanwhile, the same investigation also saw Giovanni’s fellow Italian pro Graziano Di Prima axed after allegations of “physical incidents” towards show partner Zara McDermott, 27.
