Melanie Grant – one half of the Fun House twins – has left the silver screen and embraced a normal job in Wetherspoons.
The 51-year-old enjoyed a decade working on the children's game show, Fun House, where two teams would compete against each other and pick up prizes along the way. She worked alongside her sister, Martina, and the pair were once hugely recognisable to a whole generation of viewers.
Now, however, it is said that Melanie gave up her acting and singing and is instead pulling pints in her local Spoons. While she is embracing a more private life, she is often recognised by punters passing through her pub.
Her name is still a big hit too, with her boss said to be a huge fan, even feeling starstruck when he got her CV. Melanie has worked her way up behind the bar and is now team leader. Her talent is hugely appreciated at the Royal Victoria Pavilion pub - the biggest Spoons in the UK - in Ramsgate, Kent.
Melanie first appeared on our screens when she and her sister were just 16. Child contestants on the programme hosted by mullet-haired Pat Sharp had to complete challenges in the soft play house. The cult gameshow ran for a decade from 1989 to 1999.
Now, the 51-year-old says she loves her new job. Melanie decided to swap the Fun House for Wetherspoons because she loves chatting to the locals. She said: "I love working at the pub.
"It's perfect for me as I grew up around here and I'm a real people person and always love a chat with the customers here. A lot of customers know me and recognise me from the show, and we have a lot of laughs and memories about it."
She has ties to the building, as before Wetherspoons bought the pub, which opened in 2017, it was used as a nightclub under two different names.
It was called Peggy Sue's then Nero's and local girl Melanie used to go there. She said: "I used to come here in those days, so I have a great connection with the building."
Pub manager Chris Whitbourn said: "To have Mel here is superb. I used to watch Fun House as a kid and then found myself interviewing her for a job here.
"She is a great staff member and an asset to the pub."
The Royal Victoria Pavilion is on the seafront in the Kent town and has a capacity of 1,400 customers, as reported on What's The Jam.
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