Jump to content IndependentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload our app AllNewsSportCultureLifestyleRuth Jones congratulated Walters on Instagram in character as Nessa (BBC/Toffee International Ltd./Tom Jackson)Gavin and Stacey star Melanie Walters, 64, has been announced as the 15th and final celebrity taking part in Strictly Come Dancing 2026. Her co-star Ruth Jones congratulated Walters on Instagram in character as Nessa, taking a playful dig at judge Craig Revel Horwood. Walters revealed she turned down her usual festive pantomime stint in order to swap her fairy wand for sequinned dance shoes. The 2026 line-up also includes EastEnders actor Lacey Turner, singer Delta Goodrem, TV personality Dani Dyer, and footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips. The upcoming series features a major shake-up, with new hosts Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe, and Johannes Radebe replacing Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. In fullRuth Jones roasts Strictly judge as she shares good luck message to Gavin and Stacey co-star as NessaMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

Strictly Come Dancing have announced Gavin and Stacey star Melanie Walters as the fifteenth star for this year's series, completing the line-up

This year’s series features two soap stars, a former footballer and several TV personalities