Latest news with #LizBrookes
Business News Wales
11-07-2025
- Business
- Business News Wales
Cardiff Business Club Appoints Engage as New Event Management Partner
Cardiff Business Club has appointed Engage as its new event management and club administration partner, following a competitive tender process. The appointment marks a new chapter for the Club as it continues its transformation journey to modernise its operations and broaden its appeal across the business community in Cardiff and beyond. Engage takes over from Grapevine Event Management, who have delivered the Club's event management and administration services for over 13 years. Phil Jardine, Chair of Cardiff Business Club, expressed his gratitude to the outgoing team and his enthusiasm for the Club's next phase: 'On behalf of the entire board and membership, I want to place on record our heartfelt thanks to Liz Brookes and the team at Grapevine for their dedication, professionalism, and long-standing support over more than a decade. They have played a huge role in shaping the Club's event programme and delivering exceptional experiences for our members. We wish them every success in their continued work across the events industry.' 'At the same time, we're excited to welcome the team at Engage as our new partners. This appointment signals the start of a new chapter for Cardiff Business Club as we continue to develop, modernise and grow. We're looking forward to working closely with Engage to build on our success and take the Club to even greater heights.' Based in Cardiff, Engage has built a strong reputation for delivering dynamic, high-quality events across sport, education, and business. The team brings a collaborative approach and a focus on meaningful experiences – qualities that align closely with the Club's direction and ambitions. Liz Williams, Co-Founder & Director of Engage, said: 'We're proud to be supporting Cardiff Business Club at such an exciting time. The Club has a long and respected history, and we're looking forward to helping shape its next chapter. As a Cardiff-based team, we understand the value the Club brings to the capital's business community – not only as a networking forum, but as a space for shared ideas, leadership conversations, and collaboration. We're excited to work with the board, sponsors, and members to continue that tradition in a way that feels relevant, inclusive, and future-focused.' As Cardiff Business Club continues its development journey, the focus remains on evolving with the times, embracing fresh ideas, modern formats, and a more inclusive approach that reflects the diversity and dynamism of the capital's business community. The Club warmly welcomes input from all members as it shapes its future and ensures it remains a relevant, accessible, and inspiring space for the next generation of leaders.
Business News Wales
09-07-2025
- Business
- Business News Wales
Deadline Approaching for Wales STEM Awards Entries
The countdown is on for entries to the Wales STEM Awards 2025, with just two weeks left to submit nominations before the deadline on Friday 25th July. Celebrating the brightest talent and boldest innovations in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, the awards aim to recognise the organisations and individuals making a real difference to Wales' STEM landscape. Now in their sixth year, the awards feature 15 categories, including STEM Company of the Year, STEM Woman of the Year, and Innovation in STEM. Winners will be revealed at a prestigious ceremony on 16th October at the Holland House Hotel, Cardiff. Martin McHugh, newly appointed Chair of Judges and former CEO of CSA Catapult, urged potential nominees not to miss out: 'These awards shine a much-needed spotlight on the people and companies powering STEM forward in Wales. With just two weeks to go, I'd encourage anyone doing impactful work in the sector to put themselves forward. It's a fantastic opportunity to celebrate your achievements and gain wider recognition.' Liz Brookes, co-founder of the Wales STEM Awards, added: 'We know there are so many unsung heroes across Wales championing STEM—from start-ups to long-established companies, educators to engineers. This is your chance to tell your story. The deadline is fast approaching, so don't delay.' This year's awards are supported by headline sponsor Cardiff Metropolitan University, with category sponsors including CSA Catapult and Wynne Jones IP, who have joined as sponsor of the Innovation in STEM category. Further sponsorship opportunities remain available for businesses looking to engage with Wales' thriving STEM community. The organisers say the importance of celebrating STEM in Wales has never been greater. A growing skills shortage in STEM could cost the UK economy £120 billion by 2030 if left unaddressed. In Wales, the manufacturing sector alone employs over 147,000 people, highlighting the vital role STEM plays in the nation's future prosperity. Past winners have included pioneering companies such as Antiverse, Ipsen Biopharm, and Wales Interactive, and inspiring individuals like Claire Jenkins from the Intellectual Property Office and Georgia Cox from Tata Steel UK. The Wales STEM Awards are jointly organised by Grapevine Event Management and communications agency jamjar. For more information or to submit your entry, visit .
Daily Mail
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Wynne Evans confirms exciting new business venture after his BBC show was axed and fears he's 'split' from new fiancée Liz Brookes
Wynne Evans has confirmed a brand new business venture after his BBC show was axed and since he sparked fears he's split from his new fiancée Liz Brookes. The Welsh opera singer, 53, known for his TV fame, took to Instagram on Monday to share the news that he has joined up with a restaurant in his hometown. The Welsh House Carmarthen shared a video of Wynne to their Instagram confirming that the former Strictly Come Dancing star is joining as a partner in the business. In the clip, Wynne confirmed the venue would be renamed The Welsh House by Wynne and will see him cook 'MasterChef' style dishes. After his BBC Wales radio show was cut, Wynne also confirmed he will be hosting a brand new programme from the restaurant and bar. Proudly showing off his hometown, he revealed: 'One thing that is changing is The Welsh House, it's going to become The Welsh House by Wynne! 'I promise you it will have MasterChef dishes on the menu, it's going to have a warm welcome and I want you to come and see me, OK? 'It's going to be the home of the radio show as well, so get in touch with us, make your bookings and I'll see you soon - I better get cooking!' In a caption, The Welsh House added: 'We're thrilled to welcome Wynne Evans, iconic Welsh opera singer, presenter, and legend as a new partner in our Carmarthen family! 'A proud local and passionate champion of Welsh food, drink, and culture, Wynne brings unmatched energy and love for the town to help us create something truly special. Big things are coming… The Welsh House by Wynne.' The Sun claimed Wynne is opening the restaurant to 'capitalise' on his 2023 Celebrity MasterChef win and to 'distract' himself amid reports of his separation from Liz. 'He's opening a restaurant focusing on Welsh food to distract from the Liz separation,' a source told the publication. 'He paid the Welsh House to take over their existing space.' 'He is trying to capitalise on his MasterChef win apparently,' they added. It is not Wynne's latest side hustle as he also recently started work as an Airbnb host, leasing out a property in Llansteffan - eight miles away from his hometown. MailOnline has contacted Wynne's representatives for comment. In recent days, Wynne sparked fears of a split from his new fiancée Liz after deleting his engagement post from Instagram and unfollowing her. MailOnline also revealed Liz no longer follows Wynne, who only proposed to the events company boss last month. He got down on one knee during a romantic trip to Morocco and documented the gesture on Instagram, posting snaps of him proposing and a close-up of Liz's ring. He wrote: 'Big news… I got engaged! 'This weekend in Morocco, somewhere between the couscous, the camels, and me limping around the souks like a man with no spatial awareness, I proposed to Liz — and she said yes! (No take-backs, I've checked.) 'She's clever, she's kind, she's got excellent taste in men. 'Absolutely no idea how I pulled that off, but here we are! Feeling very lucky, very happy, and just a tiny bit smug.' However, the picture has now mysteriously disappeared from his account, as have any mentions of his fiancée. Wynne was previously married to wife seven years, Tanwen - the mother of his two kids - but they split in 2016. Wynne and Liz then met in 2024 shortly before his stint on the BBC1 dancing show, and Liz was often sat in the audience during the live shows. Liz owns an events company and it's believed the pair met at a corporate function her firm organised, where Wynne was booked as the entertainment. Wynne also paid tribute to Liz for helping him through a tough time in his work life, after he was axed by the BBC following a controversial comment made during the Strictly Come Dancing live tour in January. After his BBC Wales show was cut, Wynne announced that he would be launching a new radio show - which he has now confirmed he will record from The Welsh House. In May, he wrote on Instagram: 'The Wynne Evans Show is coming back, live every day from 9am - 12pm on a new app, on Alexa and Google (we don't have to say 'smart speaker' anymore!) and at Wynne's BBC Wales show was axed after using vile sexual innuendo during the Strictly Live Tour and was also caught up in a 'wandering hand' incident with dance partner Katya Jones 'This is our next adventure. And I need you more than ever. We will have great music, my question of the day, the mystery voice, your soundtrack stories and so much more, because we have each other again.' Wynne's show was axed after it emerged he used sexual innuendo during the Strictly Live Tour and was also caught up in a 'wandering hand' incident with dance partner Katya Jones, who seemed to remove his arm from her lower waist on the show. After the BBC launched an investigation into his conduct, bosses decided not to renew his radio contract for his show. Then, it was revealed that his travelogue series with Joanna Page was cancelled after just one series. The programme originally aired in February and March of this year and was placed on ice when Wynne was dropped from the Strictly tour before returning to screens. An insider told The Sun: 'Once the first series was slapped on ice, there was always a huge question mark hanging over the prospect of a second outing. 'Only now has the BBC publicly confirmed it won't be returning. 'It means that Wynne has no TV show or radio show with the Beeb, and effectively marks the end of their relationship.' The six-episode series saw Wynne and Gavin And Stacey star Joanna, 48, set sail on watery adventures across Wales' picturesque coastline. A spokesperson for the BBC said: 'There are no plans for a second series.' The Mail on Sunday recently revealed the BBC received seven complaints from women over Wynne Evans' conduct towards them. The revelations came days after Wynne protested on ITV's This Morning that there had been no allegations made against him. He told hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard: 'There has never been any complaints about me. Ever!' BBC Wales staff raised the seven separate grievances between July 2023 and August 2024, including a period after Wynne was approached to appear on last year's Strictly Come Dancing. Four of the complaints were made before he joined Strictly, raising questions over why the dance show's producers signed him up. Three more were made after he had been chosen for the show. A report into his behaviour was prepared in January for a disciplinary hearing which he said he could not attend, citing mental health issues.
Daily Mail
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Wynne Evans sparks fears he's split from new fiancée Liz Brookes after unfollowing her and deleting engagement Instagram post
Wynne Evans has sparked fears he's split from his new fiancée after deleting his engagement post from Instagram and unfollowing her. MailOnline can also reveal Liz Brookes no longer follows the former Strictly star, who only proposed to the events company boss last month. The Welsh opera singer, 53, got down on one knee during a romantic trip to Morocco and documented the gesture on Instagram, posting snaps of him proposing and a close-up of Liz's engagement ring. He wrote: 'Big news… I got engaged! 'This weekend in Morocco, somewhere between the couscous, the camels, and me limping around the souks like a man with no spatial awareness, I proposed to Liz — and she said yes! (No take-backs, I've checked.) 'She's clever, she's kind, she's got excellent taste in men. 'Absolutely no idea how I pulled that off, but here we are! Feeling very lucky, very happy, and just a tiny bit smug.' However; the picture has now mysteriously disappeared from his account, as have any precious mentions of his fiancée. Mailonline has approached Wynne's reps for comment. The couple met in 2024 shortly before his stint on the BBC1 dancing show. Liz was often sat in the audience for the live shows and shared a sweet snap with him after one performance - saying she was 'proud' of him. Wynne credited Liz for helping him lose weight before he competed on the series. Speaking on a podcast last year, the father-of-two gushed: 'I go out running with my girlfriend and stuff and I feel much better for it.' Liz owns an events company and it's believed the pair met at a corporate function her firm organised, as Wynne was booked as the entertainment. Wynne also paid tribute to Liz for helping him through a tough time in his work life, after he was axed by the BBC following his controversial 'spit roast' comment made during the Strictly Come Dancing live tour in January. Wynne - who is known for the Go Compare ads - was caught on camera seemingly suggesting a three-way sex session with presenter and Strictly professional Janette Manrara. The comment came at a photocall to launch the Strictly live tour and swiftly earned a rebuke from BBC bosses who told him: 'We will not tolerate such behaviour.' In May, Wynne broke his silence on his controversial comment as he claimed he was forced to apologise. He denied it was a sexual jibe about a female presenter and insisted he used the term 'spit roast' as a nickname for fellow contestant Jamie Borthwick. The opera singer confirmed in May the BBC will not be renewing his one-year rolling contract following a four-month investigation following the inappropriate comments made during his time on Strictly. He has since set up his own independent radio show which streams live on his website, following the end of his breakfast show on BBC Radio Wales. Wynne was previously married to wife seven years, Tanwen — the mum of his two kids. He revealed the 2016 breakup left him clinically depressed and he ballooned to 22 stone. The singer said he struggled with dating apps when he was single and many women only wanted to meet him because he was Gio Compario from the comparison site adverts. On his mental state following his divorce, he said: 'I had very dark thoughts and very dark days where I would contemplate all sorts of terrible things. 'I think it's obvious what I'm saying, but I don't want to say it because some people find it distressing. I'm fine to talk about it now, but at that time nothing would help me. 'I wanted my life to be over and I did some stupid things.'
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Wynne Evans engaged to girlfriend Liz Brookes following Strictly Come Dancing controversy
Former Strictly Come Dancing star Wynne Evans has announced an engagement to his girlfriend Liz Brookes, after proposing during a holiday to Morocco last weekend. The Welsh opera singer, best known as the face of advertisements for price comparison company revealed the 'big news' on Instagram. Evans, 53, told his followers: 'Somewhere between the couscous, the camels, and me limping around the souks like a man with no spatial awareness, I proposed to Liz — and she said yes! (No take-backs, I've checked.)' Sharing a photo of himself down on one knee, Evans said of his future wife: 'She's clever, she's kind, she's got excellent taste in men. Absolutely no idea how I pulled that off, but here we are! Feeling very lucky, very happy, and just a tiny bit smug.' The news comes after Evans, who was previously the host of a BBC Radio Wales breakfast show, was dropped by the BBC after apologising for making 'inappropriate and unacceptable' remarks during the Strictly live tour launch last December. Evans' apology at the start of this year arrived months after his controversial time on the 2024 series of Strictly. During live one episode, he was spotted engaging in a 'silly inside joke' with his professional dance partner, Katya Jones, which saw her awkwardly remove his hand from her waist. In another moment, Jones was seen avoiding a high-five offered by Evans – but after rumours circulated of a behind-the-scenes feud, the pair told viewers it was part of 'a running joke'. While announcing the BBC had dropped him, Evans thanked his fans for their support, stating on Instagram: 'These past few months, your love has been the light in my darkest days. Every message, every word of encouragement, every moment you stood by me has carried me through more than you could ever know. 'And because you've given me so much, I need to tell you this. It breaks my heart to say the BBC has decided not to renew my contract. That show wasn't just work – it was home. It was us. We laughed, we cried, we sang like nobody was listening. And somehow, through the airwaves, we became a family.' Brookes, 50, owns a successful events company in Cardiff, and met Evans at one of her business's parties in Wales. The opera singer asked Brookes out the following day and they have been together for the past 18 months. Evans was previously married to singer Tanwen Evans, 48, with whom he shares two children: Ismay and Taliesin. They divorced in 2016.
