Strictly star Wynne Evans' heartbreaking split from ex-wife sparked 'irrational fear'

was left dealing with a devastating 'irrational fear' after splitting from his wife, with their divorce taking a terrible toll on his mental health.

Thewhose 'stupid joke that went wrong' has led to cruel trolling by fans, was once married to violinist Tanwen, who has enjoyed a distinguished career performing for the likes of the Welsh Sinfonia and the National Symphony Orchestra.

The two gifted musicians met while studying on the same British Youth Orchestra course, and proud Welshman Wynne went on to propose romantically, popping the question just as Tanwen hopped off a train at Cardiff Central Station.

They tied the knot in 1999 and proceeded to welcome children Ismay and Taliesin. Sadly, the melodic fairytale came to a crashing end in 2016, when Wynne and Tanwen filed for divorce, marking the beginning of a very dark period for the tenor.

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Marking the start of Mental Health Awareness Week earlier this year, Wynne, 52, spoke with Radio Wales about how the break-up had affected him. Wynne shared: "It was almost like grief, but you can't grieve for somebody that's still there. So, it really affected my mental health, my confidence and my ego - it totally changed me as a person."

Revealing that he ended up being plagued by a distressing fear, Wynne continued: "It made me very aware of being alone. 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. I think it's obvious what I'm saying, but I don't want to say it because some people find it distressing. I'm fine to talk about it now, but at that time nothing would help me. I realised that I wanted my life to be over and I did some stupid things."

Fortunately, Wynne has since found love again with 50-year-old events manager Liz Brookes, who reportedly encouraged him to boost his physical fitness ahead of his Strictly journey. A source told "Wynne and Liz met at an event and are taking things slow, but he's excited about where the relationship might go. He is in a much better place now than when his marriage ended. It's like night and day — and he is so happy."

This comes after Wynne and dance partner Katya Jones were forced to speak out amid rumours of a feud, after eagle-eyed viewers spotted a couple of seemingly awkward interactions between the pair on Saturday's show. Fans were surprised to see brushing away Wynne's hand after he tried to place it on her waist, with some interpreting her gesture as discomfort. In another incident, Katya appeared to reject Wynne's attempt at a high five.

Katya and Wynne have both since addressed the exchange via an video, confirming that their antics had just been part of a 'silly joke'. Katya told fans: "We just wanted to say we were just messing around in the Clauditorium on Saturday night and just want to say sorry. It was a silly joke."

Wynne also opened up about how the backlash has affected him on his Radio Wales show, telling listeners: "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."

If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email or visit their site to find your local branch

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