Homes Under the Hammer star was ‘terrified’ to come out as gay
Owain Wyn Evans is notable for being a weather presenter for the BBC. (Getty)
Weatherman and presenter Owain Wyn Evans has joined BBC’s Homes Under the Hammer in the show’s 27th season.
Announced in January, it was reported that Evans would be a new presenter on the daytime property show, replacing celebrity builder Tommy Walsh.
According to The Mirror, Walsh filmed his final episode of Homes Under the Hammer in 2023 and would not return this year to film any more episodes.
They wrote that the BBC wanted the show to appeal to younger generations and hoped that Evans would bring in fresh blood.
Here’s everything you need to know about Owain Wyn Evans.
How did Owain Wyn Evans get his start in broadcasting?
Evans began his broadcasting career at the age of 18 after landing a gig presenting the Welsh language children’s news programme Ffeil.
Evans, who is from Ammanford, then began working as a reporter and presenter for BBC Wales and was a weatherman for BBC Wales Today.
Many might recognise Evans for his weather broadcasts, presenting them across many BBC nations and regions between 2012 and 2019.
Following the death of weather presenter Dianne Oxberry, he then became the new lead weather presenter for BBC North West Tonight.
Since then, Evans has appeared on several shows like The One Show, The Wheel, BBC’s New Year’s Eve, BBC Breakfast, and Freeze the Fear with Wim Hot.
Evans has also crossed the airwaves as well as the TV, presenting across several BBC radio programmes. In 2023, he took over Radio 2’s Early Breakfast Show after Vanessa Feltz departed to join TalkTV.
When Evans was announced as a presenter for Homes Under the Hammer, he told the BBC: “I’ve renovated several homes over the years and have not been afraid to get my hands dirty in the process. I love getting inspiration from others and seeing the before and after really does make this a dream job for me.”
“I’ve watched Homes Under the Hammer for years and it is such an iconic show. Now pass me a sturdy boot and a hard hat, I can’t wait to discover more fabulous home transformations with the team!”
Owain Wyn Evans came out as gay at 17
Evans came out to his family and friends as gay at the age of 17. Though he’s said he had “a wonderful childhood”, he often felt like he didn’t belong because of his sexuality.
“I knew I was gay from a young age, but I just didn’t know what it was because, when I was growing up, there weren’t any reference points for what it actually meant to be gay,” he told the Lancashire Post.
Evans said he grew up in a working-class family and felt like he was “the only gay in the village”.
“It was a very masculine and heteronormative environment: the only cultural touchstones for gay people was them being the butt of jokes on TV or overly-flamboyant characters,” he expalined.
Evans felt he had to suppress his sexuality because of that feeling.
When he told his close friends and his family, they were supportive of him: “I just remember being terrified, but I knew this was a part of me and I needed somebody to talk to. Then I told my parents. They were surprised and I know they found it difficult initially, but they were willing to learn and I was lucky in that they realised that I was still me.
Who is Owain Wyn Evans’ partner?
Evans tied the knot with his long-term partner Arran Rees in 2017 after being engaged for four years.
Rees previously worked for the Victoria and Albert museum and now works as a research associate at the University of Leeds.
Rees proposed to Evans in 2013 while in Las Vegas but took their time making it official. They honeymooned in Portugal after the wedding and have discussed having children in the future.
Evans previously told WalesOnline: “Arran [Rees] and I have spoken about children. We would like to adopt when the time is right. We would not mind whether it was a boy or a girl. There are so many kids that need to be adopted.”
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