Axed Strictly Come Dancing star Melanie Walters has admitted she would have loved to perform in this week's Icons show as she had a very personal connection to the artist they were paying tribute to. On Monday night (October 12), the Gavin and Stacey star appeared on Strictly It Takes Two with her pro partner Aljaž Škorjanec, where she opened up to host Ellie Taylor.
She told the broadcaster: "I would really have liked to have been in for this week because it's Icons Week. We were going to do the tango, and my icon was Bonnie Tyler. Sadly missed and gone too soon," she said.
Personal connection to Bonnie Tyler
The TV favourite then revealed she actually knew the Total Eclipse of the Heart hitmaker, who died in hospital in Portugal at the age of 75 on July 8 this year. "She literally was a neighbour of mine when she lived in Mombles," she said as both Ellie and Aljaž jaws dropped.
Her appearance came a day after she officially became the second star eliminated from the BBC competition following the results show on Sunday night (October 11). She and Aljaž faced former footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips, 44, and his pro partner Alexis Warr, 26, in the dance-off.
The dance-off decision
Both couples performed their routines again before the decision, with Shaun and Alexis doing their Quickstep to I'm a Believer by The Monkees for a second time. Meanwhile, Melanie and Aljaž had another opportunity to showcase their Charleston to Ooh Aah...Just A Little Bit by Gina G.
After both couples had danced, Craig Revel Horwood and head judge Shirley Ballas chose to save Shaun and Alexis. Motsi Mabuse opted to save Melanie and Aljaž. With the decision at two to one, it was left to Anton Du Beke, the judge with the deciding vote, to save Shaun and Alexis, putting them through to Idols week in week four.
She admitted she was "disappointed" by the decision but added: "It is what it is", while confessing she would miss working with Aljaž. "It's really sad that I don't spend any more time with this lovely man, and it's been a blast, all of it...It's sad that it's not complete," she reflected.
Praise from her partner
Asked how it was facing Shaun in the dreaded dance-off, she said: "Well, I think it would have been really difficult going against any of them [the couples]. We've bonded so well. We all really have, and it would have been hard to do it with any other couple. I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed every single minute of it," she smiled.
Aljaž heaped praise on Melanie, praising her progress in the competition. "I'm immensely proud because if anyone could see Melanie on day one in rehearsals, how sort of nervous and cautious [she was]. And then to see [her] on the first Cha Cha week, then Waltz, then this Charleston, the progress every single week was incredible. And you know, as a teacher, all you want is a student who puts in the work, puts in the effort. But you were just, I think, probably the best student I've ever had. You were so analytical, so respectful, and you know that's beautiful," he told her.
Strictly Come Dancing airs on Saturdays from 6.20pm on BBC One or stream live on BBC iPlayer.
