The pair took advantage of the nice weather for a trip down memory lane
Melanie Walters and Aljaž Škorjanec took a trip to Barry Island(Image: Melanie Walters/ Instagram)
Gavin and Stacey star Melanie Walters took a trip down memory lane this week as she returned to her old stomping ground in Barry – and she brought a very familiar face along for the ride.
The actress, best known to millions as the lovable Gwen West in the hit BBC sitcom Gavin and Stacey, headed back to Barry ahead of her second appearance on Strictly Come Dancing, accompanied by none other than her professional dance partner, Aijaz Škorjanec.
And with the pair preparing to take to the dance floor together as an official duo for the very first time, what better way to get acquainted than a sunny September trip to a place that holds plenty of memories for Melanie.
Sharing a sweet snap on Instagram, the 64-year-old actress appeared delighted to be back in familiar surroundings with her new dance partner.
Melanie captioned the post: “A little trip away with my partner @aljazskorjanec that might look familiar… and no word of a lie, Barry was truly Barrybados yesterday!”
The pair’s visit also delivered a brilliant Gavin and Stacey moment, with Melanie sharing an image showing Aljaž outside Marco’s Cafe.
The professional dancer was pictured leaning against a wall decorated with the much-loved Gavin & Stacey characters – and appeared to be giving Ruth Jones’ legendary character Nessa a particularly intense stare.
The fun-filled outing clearly went down well with their fellow Strictly stars too. Olympic champion Tabitha Stoecker commented: “Totally iconic”, while Love Island star Cache Mercer added: “Ayyyyyyeeee.” Meanwhile, the latest addition to the Strictly professional line-up, Mark Karmalita, summed up the Barry adventure with: “So epic.”
For Melanie, being paired with Aljaž has already proved to be something of a dream.
Following their first performance together during a group dance in Saturday’s launch show, the actress described dancing with the Strictly veteran as a “dream come true.”
And Aljaž certainly brings plenty of experience to the partnership. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter
The Slovenian dancer first lifted the coveted Glitterball Trophy in 2013 during his very first series, when he was partnered with model Abby Clancy. He went on to reach another final with former Emmerdale actress Gemma Atkinson
After briefly stepping away from Strictly in 2022, Aljaž returned to the show two years later going straight to the final with Love Island star Tasha Ghouri – and now finds himself teaming up with one of Britain’s most recognisable sitcom stars.
