Seann Walsh made light of his scandalous kiss with Katya Jones, hailing photographers at the Pride of Britain Awards his “friends”.
The comedian said they had been “so nice” to him in recent weeks after pictures surfaced of him enjoying a passionate embrace with his Strictly Come Dancing partner.
Posing on the red carpet at Monday night’s event he said: “My best friends. I love all of you. You’ve been so nice to me in the last few weeks. Thank you very much.”
Walsh was publicly dumped by his then-girlfriend Rebecca Humphries who released a scathing statement in which she accused him of “aggressively” calling her a “psycho” after she questioned his relationship with Jones.
He apologised on Strictly spin-off show It Takes Two, describing the kiss as a “one-off drunken mistake,” and insisting he is not the man he has been portrayed as.
Jones also apologised and said she is “very happy” in her five-year marriage to fellow professional dancer Neil Jones.
Walsh was booted out of the BBC ballroom competition on Saturday after failing to impress with his “lagging” Viennese Waltz to I Put A Spell On You for Halloween Week.
The comedian, who is now tipped for a stint on I’m A Celebrity, was joined at last night’s Pride of Britain Awards by his fellow Strictly stars including Katie Piper, Vick Hope and judges Craig Revel Horwood and Shirley Ballas.
The evening, hosted by Carol Vorderman, was a celebration of the inspiring men, women and children who have acted extraordinarily in the last year.
Hundreds of Britain’s biggest names worked the red carpet including Sir Cliff Richards, Robbie Williams and Ayda Field, Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield, Myleene Klass and Ellie Goulding.
