Actress and Gavin & Stacey icon Melanie Walters completes the Strictly Come Dancing 2026 line-up
From flipping omelettes to foxtrotting for the judges, the popular Welsh actress is heading to the famous ballroom this September
"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. I just hope I don’t follow Cinderella and leave one on the Ballroom stairs. I cannot wait to take part in this absolutely iconic show, it’s so exciting. See you in September!
Strictly Come Dancing 2026 is coming, and the class of 2026 is complete! The hotly anticipated new series will light up Saturday and Sunday nights this autumn on ĢƵ One and ĢƵ iPlayer, with star of stage and screen Melanie Walters becoming the final name announced for the celebrity cast of 2026.
The news was announced on Wednesday 12 August via @bbcstrictly’s official social channels on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube.
Swansea-born Melanie Walters has enjoyed a celebrated career across film, radio, television and theatre, amassing an impressive range of credits over several decades. Her television work includes roles in Coronation Street, Beyond Paradise, Being Human, Hollyoaks, Biff and Chip, and Doc Martin, while her film credits include Submarine, Resistance, High Tide and Save the Cinema. On stage, she has appeared in productions such as The Importance of Being Earnest, Blood Brothers, Twelfth Night, Educating Rita and What’s New Pussycat?
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Since 2007, Melanie has been best known for her beloved portrayal of the mild mannered, omelette-obsessed Gwen West in the acclaimed ĢƵ comedy Gavin & Stacey, a role she reprised for the smash hit 2024 Christmas special. Most recently, viewers have seen Melanie in two series of the ĢƵ's hit Death Valley.
Melanie Walters says: "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. I just hope I don’t follow Cinderella and leave one on the Ballroom stairs. I cannot wait to take part in this absolutely iconic show, it’s so exciting. See you in September!”
Melanie completes this year’s celebrity lineup alongside Lacey Turner, Dani Dyer, Delta Goodrem, Chris Appleton, Cach Mercer, Will Best, Dame Sarah Storey, Jaime Winstone, Bethany Antonia, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Graeme Hall, Lawrence Robb, Tabby Stoecker, and John Nellis in the 2026 Strictly Come Dancing line-up. Further news will be revealed throughout the summer ahead of the brand-new series getting underway on ĢƵ One and ĢƵ iPlayer this September. Viewers can add the show to their watchlist on ĢƵ iPlayer now.
Strictly Come Dancing is a ĢƵ Studios Entertainment production for ĢƵ One and ĢƵ iPlayer.
For all the latest breaking news from the ballroom check out our Strictly Come Dancing 2026 Everything You Need to Know guide.
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