Gavin and Stacey star Melanie Walters has revealed she is 'not remotely as sweet' as her beloved on-screen character Gwen West, leaving fans shocked as she competes on Strictly Come Dancing 2026.
The 64-year-old Welsh actress and her dance partner Aljaž Škorjanec performed an upbeat Charleston to Gina G's Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit on Saturday night (October 10th), earning 17 out of 40 points from the judges. The score placed them second from bottom on the leaderboard, just above Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr.
Fans surprised by her real-life personality
Best known for playing omelette-loving Gwen in the hit sitcom, Melanie has admitted that away from the cameras she is not quite as sweet as her on-screen character. Speaking previously to The Metro about her interactions with fans, she revealed some people have been surprised to discover the difference.
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!'", she added. "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!"
A five-decade career and a new challenge
With a career spanning five decades, Melanie has taken on a variety of roles, including Helen Powell in We Are Seven, Bonnie Bevan in Hollyoaks and Yvonne Mallowan in the BBC crime mystery series Death Valley.
Discussing her decision to take part in Strictly, Melanie admitted that putting herself out there as herself, rather than as a character, was unfamiliar territory. "[It's] a bit out of my comfort zone. I've not been one for doing panel shows or quiz shows or anything," she said.
"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."
Melanie is one of 15 celebrities who signed up for this year's series. So far, Chris Appleton has been voted out of the competition following a dance-off with Jaime Winstone. Strictly Come Dancing: The Results airs tonight at 7.10pm on BBC One.
