Steeltown Murders viewers are stunned as they spot Gavin & Stacey legend in very different role

STEELTOWN Murders viewers were left stunned tonight when they spotted a Gavin & Stacey legend in a very different role.

The new BBC drama kicked off tonight and is about the triple murder of three young women in Wales.

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The true crime series brings with it an all-star cast which included several famous faces.

But it was Welsh actor Steffan Rhodri - who is best known for his role in the hit comedy Gavin & Stacey - that got people talking.

He shot to fame when he played Nessa's boyfriend Dave Coaches in all three series' of the hit BBC comedy.

But tonight fans were surprised to see him in such a different role, but were equally as impressed with his acting.

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Taking to Twitter to share their surprise, one fan said: "Took a while to recognise Dave Coaches. Enjoying spotting all the Welsh avtors in this #SteelTownMurders."

While another commented: "Is that Dave Coaches?! #SteeltownMurders."

This viewer said: "Love seeing dave Coaches in such a different role! He's a fantastic actor."

Actor Steffan leads the cast with Life On Mars star Philip Glenister .

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The pair play DCI Paul Bethell and Phil ‘Bach’ Rees, who were responsible for solving the murders.

Set in both 1973 and the early 2000s, Steeltown Murders centres on the hunt to catch the killer of three young women in the Port Talbot area and the remarkable story of how - in the first case of its kind - the mystery was solved almost 30 years later using pioneering DNA evidence.

Contrasting the policing methods of the 1970s with the forensic breakthroughs of the early Noughties, Steeltown Murders is a portrait of a town dealing with the repercussions of an unsolved case three decades on, and asks if justice can ever truly be found.

Speaking about why he wanted to be cast in the new drama, Steffan told the BBC: "I am from really near where it happened actually.

"I was a bit young to really remember it, but my school was about a mile from the woods where two of the murders happened. I just had a sense of adults talking about it, it was something I was sort of aware of."

He added: "I certainly think these horrific crimes changed the whole atmosphere of an area.

"Temporarily it caused a lot of fear but in the long term as well, in terms of how much freedom young people had."