Gavin and Stacey actress Melanie Walters, the final celebrity confirmed for this year's Strictly Come Dancing line-up, has revealed she was targeted by scammers in an elaborate email and postal banking fraud that nearly cost her thousands of pounds.
The Swansea-born performer, who is paired with professional dancer Aljaž Škorjanec, was contacted twice over a six-week period by fraudsters who had obtained her personal information.
Shock and anger at scam attempt
Speaking about the ordeal, the 64-year-old said: "When I realised I had been targeted by a scam, I felt shocked and angry - at both them and myself. I felt shocked because it was a long-term attempt. I was contacted twice over a six week period, and the second letter convinced me the first was genuine. I felt unsettled that I had been in their eye-line for that length of time. It made me feel more of a target."
She added: "It felt like they had been sitting there thinking, 'She's not taken the first bite, but she might take the second bite.' They didn't let me go when I didn't respond initially and that me feel targeted and vulnerable."
Health fears and Pilates journey
Melanie has also candidly discussed past health worries that prompted her to take up Pilates and a strengthening exercise programme. Speaking to Wales Online, she said: "I took up Pilates originally because I had been told it was very good for improving posture. I had started to notice that my back was getting quite curved, a bit like those signs you see for old people."
She continued: "I had quite a round tummy and bigger hips - I was like a barrel with thin pipe-cleaner arms and legs - and was living in London and just felt I wanted to do some sort of gentle exercise. I took to it really easily."
Melanie developed such a fondness for Pilates that she qualified as a certified instructor at the Pilates Institute in London, and she maintained her enthusiasm for the discipline after returning to Swansea with her family, including her son Rowan.
Strictly motivation and Movie Week
Discussing her motivation for participating in Strictly this year, Melanie commented: "I'm primarily doing Strictly for myself and everybody who is over 60. For all us women in particular who are in their 60s, who have a chance to seize an opportunity but shy away from taking it - fearing they're too old. We're always learning and growing at whatever age. There's no such thing as being 'past it', things may become different as we get older, but we're no less valid."
The pair secured 15 points for their debut performance and will aim to build on that score during this weekend's Movie Week, where they will deliver a Waltz to Edelweiss from The Sound of Music. Strictly Come Dancing is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
