From his tuxedo and twirly moustache in the Go Compare adverts to his crisp chef’s whites on Masterchef, Wynne Evans is used to getting into costume.

But it is the Strictly star’s latest guise as Mrs Doubtfire that has won him the most compliments – as pals reckon he looks good as a woman. The Welsh opera singer dressed up as the character made famous by the late actor Robin Williams for last week’s entertaining cha-cha routine. And his tweedy skirt, pop socks and cardi get-up was the talk of the show.

Wynne, 52, told the Mirror ’s Invite Only podcast: “A lot of my friends messaged me and said how good I look as a woman, which was kind of an unnerving but a compliment at the same time. Sometimes they let you buy the costumes. So, you know, that’s obviously the one I’ve got my eye on.”

He admitted he’d be keen to put on the costume again if he were ever invited to appear in the Mrs Doubtfire West End show. He said: “Yeah, I’m open to all sorts of offers. I was brought up on musicals. But you’ve forgotten one crucial element here in that Mrs Doubtfire has to be a thin man before she’s a portly woman. I know you can go one way to the other, but I’m not sure how easy it is to go the other way.”

Wynne is taking part in this year’s Strictly

He might be poking fun at his weight, but Wynne, who won Celebrity Masterchef in 2023, has dropped seven stone in the past year. As well as the rigorous dance routines, he credits long walks with girlfriend Liz Brookes, an events manager, with helping him stay fit. The pair are maintaining a long-distance relationship between London and Cardiff while he’s competing.

He said: “My girlfriend at first was like ‘When are we gonna ever see each other?’ But now I’ve got into a rhythm of stuff and I’m home Monday and Tuesday night, then we go to London. She loves watching the show.” There’s no risk of the so-called “Strictly curse” striking Wynne, as he’s more about the bromances.

He said: “I do laugh a lot at [ EastEnders actor] Jamie Borthwick because he’s very funny. He keeps doing these impressions of David Brent all the time and they’re hilarious. I get on really well with Pete Wicks and that is not a friendship I thought would happen. I don’t really know his world.” The dad-of-two earned some brownie points for introducing Pete to his son Tal, saying: “Pete will seek me out and go, ‘Now you said about meeting your son, would that be okay to do it now?’ He’s a lovely bloke.”

The Strictly Come Dancing class of 2024 ( 
Image:
Ray Burmiston/PA)
Compliments about his Mrs Doubtfire performance aside, the star is keen to shake off the characters and let more of his own personality shine through on Strictly. He said: “People might like me, they might dislike me. They might think I am just the man with a moustache. I’m hoping now they know me as Wynne Evans.”

He and pro partner Katya Jones, 35, danced the tango to ABBA’s Money, Money, Money last night. Wynne said: “My ambition was not to be first out. Even my friends are surprised by how I’m doing. [Katya] is a big softie. She really cares about the routine. She keeps saying ‘This is good for you now, do you want to be elite?’ So then we push for the next level and the next level.” And Katya said Wynne had crushed expectations, adding: “It’s the product of hard work. People are falling in love with him, it’s a beautiful thing to see.”