Seann Walsh and Katya Jones’s Strictly Come Dancing apologies come in for criticism

THE public and pundits have united in doubting the sincerity of the apologies offered up by Seann Walsh and Katya Jones for their antics last week.

Seann was described by one commentator as looking like ‘someone out of a hostage video’ while making his apology on BBC Two’s It Takes Two last night, while many Twitter users called him out for not actually apologising directly to his girlfriend Rebecca Humphries.

The pair were snapped ‘snogging like teenagers’ in Soho last week, and since then Seann has been unceremoniously dumped by his girlfriend while Katya’s hubby, fellow pro dancer Neil, has seemed remarkably laid back about the fling.

But last night they finally broke cover to address their behaviour, with Katya saying she ‘can’t apologise enough’, while Seann acknowledged: ‘We made a huge mistake and I regret it deeply.’

But not everyone was satisfed with their apologies, with Seann coming in for particular flak.

One viewer commented: ‘He *still* didn’t actually say sorry or give any reference to @Beckshumps.’

But on today’s Good Morning Britain, the Daily Mirror’s Kevin Maguire was more cutting, saying: ‘I was watching his eyes. He reminded me of someone out of a hostage video.

‘I’m not sure how sincere he was.’

And The Sun’s Tom Newton Dunn seemed to suggest the whole affair was designed to boost the pair’s profile.

‘I don’t think either of their careers have suffered,’ he said. ‘This is a true national event now.’

But presenter Susanna Reid said she thought Katya really meant her apology.

‘You can hear in her voice how absolutely devastated she is that she got caught and that it’s affected her career,’ she said.

‘I don’t think she’s thinking, “Ka-ching, I’ve got loads of ticket sales with my husband.” I think she’s feeling very hurt.’

In their joint apologies, Seann took the lead, saying: ‘I think that, obviously, I’m sorry for the hurt that I’ve caused.

‘We were getting on well, we were having fun. We made a huge mistake and I regret it deeply.’

Katya then followed this up, saying she was now focused on her marriage and career.

‘I can’t apologise enough to everyone who it hurt and involved,’ she said.

‘But the main thing, me and Neil are absolutely fine, and that’s what matters to me the most right now and focusing on my job and doing it as professionally I can.’

Seann then addressed criticism of the way he had treated his ex, who claims he called her a ‘psycho’.

‘First of all, I’d rather not be having to address this publicly, but I feel like I have to,’ he said.

‘I made a mistake, which I’m sorry for. I’m sorry for the hurt that I’ve caused. You never think about the extent of the damage that you’re going to do in a moment… a mistake that you’ve made.

‘I’m not perfect. Far from it. Our relationship wasn’t perfect. That doesn’t mean I wanted it to end the way it finally did and I’m very sorry for that.

‘It’s also important for me to say that the people that know me the most, that love me, they know that I am not the person I’m being portrayed as.’

Author: Anna Thomson