Walk into Mellors Cafe in Romiley and there's no mistaking who everyone is supporting on this year's BBC Strictly Come Dancing. Staff here are all proudly wearing their "Team Will" t-shirts - in support of Will Mellor, Stockport's Strictly hopeful this year, and it's a real family affair.
For Will's sister Cheryl Taylor has been running Mellors Cafe for the past 15 years, while his niece Georgia Thorley is the manager. Will's mum Shirley is a regular for her daily cuppa too at the cafe on Romiley Precinct.
Chatter among customers in the bustling cafe inevitably turns to the exploits of Will, and how well he is doing just three weeks in to his sequin-clad Strictly journey.
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He's already been hailed the bookies favourite to win the show, after some impressive moving and grooving in his opening jive and second week salsa. And here at Mellors Cafe, his family, friends and regular customers really couldn't be any prouder.
The cafe staff have all had their Team Will t-shirts specially made (with the famous glitterball on the back). And they are proving so popular that Cheryl is constantly being asked if customers can buy their own!
Cheryl says it's all part of the brilliant pride being shown by the whole of Romiley (and neighbouring Bredbury where he grew up) for her famous brother Will. He may have been a famous face for years thanks to star turns in the likes of Hollyoaks, Two Pints of Lager, No Offence and most recently Coronation Street, but there's nothing like a spot of hip-swivelling on Strictly to get an entire community rallying around.
Cheryl says: "It feels like the whole village has been coming in and asking if they can have a Team Will t-shirt too! People in the village are saying they want to put posters up, and we're wondering whether to put a banner outside as well.
"We're a really close knit community here, and the support everyone has been showing to Will has just been brilliant. My mum is now living in her Team Will t-shirt bless her, she's just so proud of him but then we all are."
Will himself posted the photos on his Instagram page of his family all sporting their Team Will t-shirts at the cafe this week and said: "Loving the support from my mum and sisters and staff at my sister Cheryl's Mellors Cafe Bar! I'll do my best for ya!"
Cheryl, 56, opened the coffee shop 15 years ago and says it has grown to be a real "community hub" since then. They are known for their hot cooked breakfasts (offering a small version for £6 and large fry up for £8), as well as daily-changing home-made cakes and fresh-brewed coffees that Cheryl is particularly proud of.
Cheryl says: "I get so much support from the local residents, it's doing amazing, it's a real hub here. People love the fact it's our family business and I'm very proud of how we've grown."
Cheryl is keeping in regular touch with Will while he's on his Strictly journey, and says they're all excited to see his Movie Week routine on Saturday night to the Dirty Dancing classic Cry To Me. Partnered with Nancy Xu, the couple's performaces so far have won plenty of praise from Strictly fans.
Cheryl said: "I spoke to him yesterday and he said training has gone really well so far. It's his favourite song from his favourite film, so we just have to hope nerves don't get the better of him, but we know he will just shine."
Cheryl says the whole family is proudly cheering on Will in Strictly. Will, 46, grew up in Bredbury with his four older sisters and as the youngest, they always doted upon him. Cheryl smiles: "As the only boy, and the youngest, as you can imagine he was very, very spoilt by all of us.
"Our dad was a singer, and as a family we were always singing and dancing around the house. That's where Will first started and it was soon pretty obvious he had a voice."
Will revealed when he was first announced for Strictly that it was losing his beloved dad Bill in 2020 that pushed him to say yes to the BBC dance extravaganza. He said ahead of the launch of Strictly: "We have our reasons for when we do things in life and I would genuinely be frightened of doing stuff like this and saying no to stuff, because I was worried about what people will think and, 'If I do that, will that change that?'
"And then I lost my dad in 2020 and everything changed and it just crippled me. I thought, 'I've got to grab life, I've got to do stuff.' It really changed my mindset and I've just got to say yes to more things."
He added that as Strictly is his mum's favourite show it has made him especially proud to do it for her.
Cheryl says the whole family are now looking forward to cheering on Will each week - and hope that he gets enough votes to keep on dancing right up until Christmas.
She said: "At the moment we're all watching at home on a Saturday night, but my mum is going down to watch him in the studios this weekend, and I'm hoping to go the week after.
"We all hope he stays in as long as possible."
The coffee shop is inside the NK Theatre Arts centre in Romiley, where Will also keeps close ties as a patron of the theatre. Cheryl's son Ryan Taylor, 31, is following in his uncle's footsteps with theatre performances at the theatre too.
After Will's instagram post about Mellors Cafe this week, Romiley locals rushed to share their love for the cafe too. One wrote: "Love Mellors coffee bar in the village where we live, best coffee ever too."
Another said: "Best place in Romiley".
Mellor's Cafe is open Monday to Saturday, 9am to 4pm, at 4 The Precinct, Romiley.
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