Gavin and Stacey star Melanie Walters has revealed that fans often get a shock when they discover she is very different from her on-screen character. The Welsh actress, best known for playing omelette-enthusiast Gwen West in the beloved sitcom, is currently competing on Strictly Come Dancing 2026.
On Saturday, October 10th, Walters and her professional partner Aljaž Škorjanec performed an energetic Charleston to Gina G's Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit, scoring 17 out of 40 points from the judges. The score placed them second from the bottom on the leaderboard, narrowly ahead of Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr.
Fans shocked by her off-camera personality
Walters has said she joined the BBC dancing contest to challenge herself beyond her usual boundaries. Viewers have been delighted to see this alternative side of her, though she has confessed that fans are often surprised to discover she isn't "as sweet" as Gwen.
In a previous conversation with The Metro about her encounters with fans, she said: "It's usually a tap on the shoulder and 'Make us an omelette!' and they fall about laughing and then I do too because they do it out of enjoyment.
"I'm a bit wary if I'm in a pub and people get really drunk because they see me and say, 'Oooh, it's Gwen!'
"They seem to think they can pick me up and take me home because I'm so small. I'm not remotely as sweet as Gwen in real life so they get a shock!"
Out of her comfort zone
With a career spanning five decades, Walters has appeared in numerous roles, including Helen Powell in We Are Seven, Bonnie Bevan in Hollyoaks and Yvonne Mallowan in the BBC crime mystery series Death Valley. Speaking about her decision to take part in Strictly, she acknowledged that presenting herself as herself, rather than portraying a character, was unfamiliar ground.
She explained: "[It's] a bit out of my comfort zone. I've not been one for doing panel shows or quiz shows or anything.
"So, it's now me, Melanie Walters, which is not what I'm used to putting out there, because I'm quite a private person. I just thought, 'no, let's tick that box'. And basically, I really want to learn to dance properly. Always have.
"Getting weekly masterclasses. You couldn't ask for anything better."
Latest elimination
So far, Chris Appleton has departed the competition following a dance-off defeat against Jaime Winstone. The celebrity hairdresser performed with Amy Dowden, who has been part of the show since 2017.
Following their departure, Dowden expressed sadness in a statement on Instagram. "Our dancing journey may have ended, but our friendship certainly hasn't," she wrote. "Chris, you should be incredibly proud of yourself. Thank you for every laugh, every memory, every hug and for simply being you. I'll be cheering you on every step of the way. Love you, my friend."
Strictly Come Dancing: The Results airs tonight at 7.10pm on BBC One.
