Actress Melanie Walters has officially joined the cast of Strictly Come Dancing for its current 24th series, stepping into the BBC ballroom alongside professional dance partner Aljaž Škorjanec. Best known for playing Gwen in the hit comedy series Gavin & Stacey, the 64-year-old star debuted a striking physical transformation during the official launch, swapping floral prints for a plunging metallic dress featuring tassels and high heels.
Despite entering the competition with minimal prior dance training, Walters earned 15 points during her first routine. The duo is scheduled to perform a Waltz to “Edelweiss” from The Sound of Music during the upcoming Movie Week.
The Pilates-Driven Transformation
Walters’ physical readiness for the grueling dance competition stems from a long-standing dedication to low-impact Pilates training. She initially took up Pilates over two decades ago to address spinal posture concerns and build upper-body strength.
Her commitment to the discipline went far beyond personal fitness. Walters eventually earned professional qualifications as an advanced instructor from London’s Pilates Institute and subsequently launched her own studio, Pili Pala, in Swansea, Wales. This core strength and posture work laid the physical foundation that allowed her to transition smoothly into the rigorous demands of ballroom and Latin training.
Swapping Fairy Wands for Sequinned Shoes
Speaking about her late-career pivot to reality television, Walters admitted she was thrilled to finally step onto the dancefloor.
Performing in Pantomime for the last 15 years, my Strictly ‘fix’ has always been watching in a dressing room rather than my front room. This year I am completely thrilled and happy to swap my fairy wand for sequinned dance shoes.
Walters was announced as the final celebrity for the series line-up, joining a diverse cast that includes Dani Dyer, Will Best, Chris Appleton, and Delta Goodrem. Following a major overhaul of the show’s format, which features a new presenting trio of Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe, and Johannes Radebe, Walters and Škorjanec are focusing on their upcoming Movie Week routines as the competition intensifies on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
