Ruth Jones took a cheeky dig at Craig Revel Horwood as she congratulated her Gavin and Stacey co-star Melanie Walters on joining the Strictly Come Dancing 2026 line-up.
Walters, 64, was announced on Wednesday (12 August) as the final celebrity to be taking part in the BBC dancing competition, completing a line-up of 15 stars in total.
The Swansea-born actor is best known for playing Gwen, the sweet and softly-spoken mother to Stacey, in Gavin and Stacey.
Jones, who played the deadpan lover of leather jackets Nessa on the show, was among those to share her well-wishes to Walters, with Strictly judge Horwood catching a stray in the process.
“This is amazing news!!” said Jones in an Instagram post. “And I’ve got a message here from Nessa: O’ Gwen. I hears you’re donnin’ the dancin shoes. Tidy.
“Shirley Ballas learnt all she knows from me back in the 70s. So if you needs any tips on rhythm just call. And don’t take no crap from Craig Revel Horwood. He’s a p***y.”
Walters and Jones starred on Gavin and Stacey for three seasons from 2007 to 2010, alongside Matthew Horne, Joanna Page, Rob Brydon, and James Cordon.
The cast reprised their roles for a highly anticipated Christmas special in 2024, revolving around the huge 2019 cliffhanger during which Jones’s Nessa proposed to Cordon’s Smithy.
News of Walters’ participation on Strictly has been met with excitement from fans who rushed to her Instagram page to wish her good luck on the series.
The actor revealed that she turned down her annual stint in pantomime during the festive season so that she could hit the dance floor instead.
“Performing pantomime for the last 15 years, my Strictly ‘fix’ has always been watching in a dressing room rather than my front room,” she said in a statement announcing her Strictly debut. “This year I am completely thrilled and happy to swap my fairy wand for sequinned dance shoes.”
She continued: “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!”
She joins previously announced stars including EastEnders actor Lacey Turner, singer Delta Goodrem, TV personality Dani Dyer, actor Jaime Winstone and footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips.
Celebrity hair stylist Chris Appleton, Love Island contestant Cach Mercer, TV presenter Will Best, and House of the Dragon actor Bethany Antonia will also compete for the coveted Glitterball trophy alongside Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey, Winter Olympic gold medalist Tabby Stoecker, dog expert Graeme Hall, Emmerdale’s Lawrence Robb, and football content creator John Nellis.
Strictly is undergoing some huge changes ahead of its 2026 run, with three new hosts replacing outgoing presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe are the trio who’ll be leading proceedings when the series returns to screens next month.
They will be the show’s first line-up of three presenters since Daly and Winkleman fronted the format with Bruce Forsyth in 2013.
