Wynne Evans Speaks!

Welsh opera singer Wynne Evans has the dubious honour of being in what's been described as one of the most irritating adverts of all time.

As the cheesy Italian tenor Gio Compario he fronts the Go Compare adverts on the TV. He admits he was surprised at their popularity, and reveals he only just got the part.
 
"I was involved in a previous commercial providing the singing voice for Gary Linneker. The same company came to make the Go Compare adverts and used the same musical agent who only knew one opera singer luckily.

“Another actor had been engaged to do the vision part of the advert. I started gesticulating to get some character into the voice and the producers decided I'd be good to do the visuals as well."
 
Wynne's been involved in the `serious' opera world for years - as principal tenor at the Welsh National Opera, and is currently in rehearsals at Covent Garden. Was he worried that being Gio would damage his image?
 
"I wasn't nervous at all. I saw it as an extension of what I was already doing within comic opera. I have to say the opera fraternity have been tremendously supportive to me during my time, at least they are to my face!"

Listen to the full interview now