Melanie Walters has brought Aljaž Škorjanec to Barry before their first live Strictly performance.
The outing followed Saturday’s reveal of Strictly Come Dancing’s 2026 couples, including Melanie and Aljaž.
In an Instagram post, Melanie shared photographs from the coastal stop with her professional partner.
Alongside the photos, Melanie wrote: “A little trip away with my partner @aljazskorjanec that might look familiar… and no word of a lie, Barry was truly Barrybados yesterday!”
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Melanie Walters recreates a Gavin and Stacey moment with Aljaz Skorjanec
The Barry stop was a nod to Melanie’s best-known television role.
She played Gwen West in BBC sitcom Gavin and Stacey. The series is closely associated with the Welsh seaside town.
One photograph showed Aljaž outside Marco’s Cafe, beside a wall decorated with characters from the comedy.
He appeared to be looking at an image of Nessa. Ruth Jones plays Nessa in the hit series.
The actress returned to familiar surroundings while beginning a very different television chapter.
Fans loved the trip as one person commented on the post: “Gotta love Gavin and Stacey!! Really want to visit Barry Island.”
Another wrote: “So iconic.”
Someone else said: “ICONIC.”
Another person commented: “So adorable I love this. Can’t wait to watch you shine on Saturday! Hope rehearsals have been going well.”
Aljaž Škorjanec brings Glitterball experience
Aljaž brings a lot of Strictly experience to the newly formed duo. He lifted the Glitterball Trophy in 2013, during his first series on the programme.
He later reached another final with former Emmerdale actress Gemma Atkinson. The Slovenian professional stepped away in 2022 before returning two years later.
Melanie Walters calls Strictly partnership a dream
Melanie and Aljaž first performed together during a group dance in Saturday’s launch show.
Afterwards, she described dancing with the Strictly veteran as a “dream come true”.
Read more: Emma Willis’ ‘cry for help’ spotted during Strictly debut
When Melanie was confirmed to be joining the Strictly line-up, she gushed in a statement: “Hi there, Mel Walters here putting rumours to rest and confirming that I am indeed joining the cast of Strictly Come Dancing this year. Eek!
“It is well out of my comfort zone but I promise I am going to fully embrace it all. Well, maybe not the spray tan. But you never know!”
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