Inside axed Strictly star Wynne Evans' once derelict home with missing windows

Opera singer Wynne Evans promptly purchased his home following his divorce, but has since transformed it into a vibrant, bold and extraordinary abode bursting with character

Opera singer Wynne Evans, best known for his GoCompare adverts, has left the Strictly Come Dancing live tour early following allegations that he made a sexually inappropriate remark during a phone call.

The 53-year-old was touring across the UK for the glitzy Strictly tour before making the decision to step down following the controversy. Wynne confirmed his departure in an Instagram post on Tuesday, 28 January as he said, "I've agreed with the BBC that l'll take some time out from my radio show and the Strictly Live tour, as well as my other public commitments, to prioritise my wellbeing."

He further expressed regret, "I am deeply sorry for the pain my inappropriate actions have caused, and plan to take this time for self-reflection." He added, "I'm sorry to those I won't get to see at the remaining performances, and I'm grateful to my fellow tour gang for all the amazing support they have given me." As Wynne heads back home after his Strictly journey, we've taken a look inside his striking pad.

Wynne purchased his home in a state of urgency following his divorce. He previously shared, "My relationship with my home is a bit of an odd one because when I bought the home I live in now it was as a result of getting divorced and I bought quickly. It was the only place I could find that I could get into quickly – it was empty, it was somewhat unliveable."

He went on to say, "But I bought it because it had a lot of original architecture and details inside. I mean the ceilings and the doors are just amazing. I've never seen ceilings like it – it's like a stately home, incredible. It was in a bit of a mess, windows missing, practically derelict, and I was at the lowest point of my life so I remember thinking: 'What an idiot – why have you bought this house? It is a chain around your neck.'"

Wynne and his kids struggled during the initial weeks in the house, especially in mid-November when they turned the central heating on, and it exploded. The children found themselves living in tents in their bedrooms to escape the cold. Recounting the time in his life Wynne said he was in his "dead parents' bed" which he purchased from Carmarthen and was "sleeping in a bedroom with no glass in the window."

Once the family had settled in, his first priority was to give the children's rooms a quick makeover to make them more appealing, eventually transforming them to reflect his daughter and son's personal interior design style. Wynne shared that it took him about six months to quickly update the core features of the house – reinstalling glass in the windows, installing new central heating, rewiring, laying carpets, repurposing the kitchen and starting the process of replacing the windows with handmade, wooden replicas including the restored original stained glass.

Over the past seven years, Wynne has taken great pleasure in slowly infusing each room with his unique style and surrounding himself with items that he loves and that hold significance. The result of all his hard work and attention to detail is now his dream home. Wynne shared: "I've got quite strange taste I guess – quite a flamboyant taste. My bedroom I suppose is kind of out there – I've got a picture of John Inman and Mrs Slocombe from the TV show Are You Being Served? in pop art above my bed with a retro neon pink Welsh blanket on the bed and bright yellow walls. It's very eclectic and very different."

In addition, Wynne is a connoisseur of unique brands when it comes to home decor, opting for items that catch the eye immediately upon entry. He stripped back the hall flooring to its original state, put down a Seletti rug down and added grey tones to help make the space darker. However, he doesn't shy away from vibrant decor with colour, bold patterns, and standout pieces decorating the home to show off his decorative flair, carefully chosen to suit each space and create the desired ambience.

Particularly remarkable in Wynne's drawing room is how he ties dark wall shades to the stunning original plasterwork ceiling and restored picture rail details. But the real showstopper might just be the turret, an eccentric nook furnished with built-in seating around a multifunctional table, complete with a roulette wheel – a clear indicator of Wynne's fondness for the extraordinary and unexpected in his abode.

Each room provides Wynne with an opportunity to transform it into a unique space that reflects his life, particularly now that his children have grown up and moved out. Wynne said, "There's a music room which basically has my memorabilia from my career. I've got a grand piano in there, one of the originals of the pictures of Gio that would have been on the London Tube from the GoCompare advertising campaign.

"I wanted to do the music room like a theatre so I painted it in a dark velvet red and I've had velvet drapes like stage curtains made to cover the doors in the bay where the piano is. Above that I've had – and I know this sounds a bit odd –a royal crest made so it looks like the house curtains at the Royal Opera House that's featured in my career."

His parents previously saved a theatre from demolition in West Wales and Wynne was able to source some of the old cinema chairs which he has upcycled for his "entertainment" room. This connection to his family and his past continues into most rooms within this incredible house. This includes a Venetian chandelier from his great-grandmother and a dining room table made by his dad, who was a carpenter and cabinet maker.

His bathroom boasts a deep copper bath and a huge walk-in shower behind with gorgeous green tiles - and even a ceiling that matches the tub! Having competed on Celebrity Masterchef, it's no surprise that the kitchen in Wynne's home is one of his favourite spaces, with an enormous island with five hobs ready to cook up any dish!

For Wynne, the most important thing about his home is the welcoming atmosphere for his guests. He said: "It's about entertaining and drinking and singing. It really is an entertainment house and I love it here." Despite the quick purchase of the home, Wynne said it provides "absolute warmth", and he's "really happy" to invest in the property he'll "never leave."