Many have become familiar with the flamboyantly moustachioed Italian tenor Gio Compario, who has been fronting the TV adverts of insurance comparison site gocompare.com since 2009.
Since then, well over 150 adverts have been made, famous for Compario singing the company’s ‘Go Compare’ jingle in his operatic voice.
Is the Go Compare singer really called Gio Compario?
No. Gio Compario is in fact the Welsh tenor Wynne Evans. In more recent adverts, Evans, 51, has started to appear as both Gio Compario and himself at the same time, with conversations taking place between the two. Though he does come from a very musical family, he was born in Carmarthen, not Naples or Milan.
And is Wynne Evans a tenor in real life?
Very much so. After studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the National Opera Studio, he went on to perform regularly for English National Opera, Scottish Opera and, in particular, Welsh National Opera, where his major roles included The Duke in Verdi’s Rigoletto and Rodolfo in Puccini’s La bohème.
He made his debut at the Royal Opera House in 2009, singing the part of Vakula in Tchaikovsky’s Cherevichki. He has also sung at the BBC Proms, and in 2011 released his debut solo album A Song in my Heart.
What else does Wynne Evans do?
Wynne Evans is also a regular presenter for BBC Radio Wales, as well as occasionally presenting on Radio 3 and Classic FM. In 2019, he appeared in the BBC Wales series Wynne At The Deep End, in which he was challenged to take on new professional skills.
How old is Wynne Evans?
Wynne Evans was born on 27 January 1972
Main image: Wynne Evans performing during the Castle Howard Proms event on August 21, 2021 in York. © Getty Images