During Saturday’s icon-themed episode of Strictly Come Dancing, Wynne Evans and partner Katya Jones paid tribute to Shirley Bassey with a Rumba performance to This is My Life, adding an unexpected powerful twist at the end.
Opera singer Wynne belted out part of the track to dramatic effect. Presenter Tess Daly couldn’t hide her amazement, jokingly saying: “That blew the hair off the back of my arms, that was something, we know Wynne can sing! “.
In response to the judges’ mixed reviews, Wynne offered up a cheeky suggestion, quipping: “Can we just pretend it’s a song contestant instead, is that okay? ”
Following the judges verdicts, Wynne learned he had scored a remarkable 30 points. Meanwhile, Gramophone Goddess Beyonce will be brought to life as professional dancer Johannes Radebe transforms into Sasha Fierce for a special Beyonce medley during Sunday’s results show.
Viewers took to Twitter, sharing mixed reactions about an unexpected turn of events, as some criticised it for deviating from the show’s dance focus.
One viewer commented: “It’s not the X Factor? #Strictly” while another tweet read: “didn’t realise I was watching x factor #strictly”, and others echoed the sentiment with remarks such as: “It’s not a singing contest #strictly” and “Someone wants to tell Wynn he doesn’t get points for singing!”
Nonetheless, some viewers were impressed, with one tweeting: “Really loved Wynne’s routine and the powerful and inspiring message it gave, not to mention the amazing vocal finish at the end! He should be really proud! #Strictly” and another stating: “Wynne was amazing! #Strictly! “, reports the Mirror.
The episode also featured a change in dance pairings, following an incident that saw professional dancer Lauren Oakley step in to dance alongside JLS’s JB Gill, 37. This last-minute change occurred after his original partner, Amy Dowden, fell ill during filming last weekend.
Amy, 34, reportedly is on the mend after her hospitalisation due to a health scare which meant she had to skip Sunday’s results show and take a break from this week’s competition.
Strictly Come Dancing airs Saturdays and Sundays on BBC One