King Charles has moves! Monarch leaves Bahamas with his dancing hogging the headlines despite calls for slavery apology and reparations

King Charles left the Bahamas this morning having seemingly won over hearts and minds.

He arrived as the country's head of state, but with strident demands for a formal apology over Britain's historic links with slavery and reparations ringing in his ears.

But during his two days in the country, only a handful of protesters showed up and local media barely covered the issue at all.

Most - informally at least - seemed touched by the way in which Charles had so enthusiastically embraced Bahamian culture: from his use of the local phrase 'I reach, Amen' (meaning 'I am here') - which had the crowds at a youth rally screaming their approval hours after his arrival - to his joyful impromptu dancing at a traditional Junkanoo parade.

One onlooker said: 'He really seemed to have done his homework. We appreciate that.'

Another added: 'His Majesty has moves!'

King Charles wowed everyone with his dance moves at a Junkanoo parade in Parliament Square in Nassau yesterday

Only a handful of protesters showed up and local media barely covered the issue of Britain's links to slavery at all during the King's visit. Pictured: Members of the Ethiopian African Black International Congress in Nassau on Wednesday

Royal aides acknowledge that there may be difficult conversations to come, but it is clear that His Majesty is leaving with a spring in his step as he heads into Guyana today and onto Antigua and Barbuda on Friday for the remainder of this three-country Caribbean tour at the request of the British government.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said of the visit: 'His Majesty was delighted to return to the islands, which have such a special place in his heart.

'You will have seen the immense pleasure it gave him to be there, right across all elements of the programme, and I know he was deeply grateful for the warmth and scale of the welcome he received from so many people - including from The Prime Minister, of course.

'The great wall of cheers he received when greeting crowds will echo long in his memory - and be a source of tremendous pride and encouragement as the tour continues to Guyana and Antigua and Barbuda.'

They added: 'The Youth Rally performances and the Junkanoo were particularly joyful standout highlights - but I don't think anyone had expected him to get so swept up in the carnival spirit that he would actually join the parade.

'Such a moment aside, as The King had hoped, the visit proved an opportunity to celebrate and reaffirm the modern partnership between The Bahamas and the UK, to address the shared challenges of the future and also to acknowledge the great injustices of the past in a respectful way.

The King shook hands with representatives of community and voluntary organisations during a garden party in Parliament Square in Nassau

'In that sense, I think most would agree the Visit has been both a sensitive balancing act and a strong diplomatic success.'

The King departed from Lynden Pindling International Airport, where he was received by the Acting Chief of Protocol, Celest Evans-Williams, before bidding farewell to the Governor-General, Dame Cynthia Pratt, and Prime Minister Philip Davis, with whom he appeared to have got on famously.

Proceeding to the Parade Area, the King greeted Commissioner of Police, Shanta Knowles, and Commodore of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, Commander Floyd Moxey.

A Guard of Honour presented arms and formed a Royal Salute, while the Royal Bahamas Police Force and Royal Bahamas Defence bands played their National Anthem.

The King will arrive on the official RAF government plane in Guyana later for a two-day state visit at the invitation of the President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, who will also be greeting him personally.

While he has been among the loudest voices calling for formal British acknowledgement of, and compensation for, its role in the historic transatlantic slave trade, he also enjoys a warm relationship with the King as the pair have bonded over Charles' passion for the environment.

Indeed, the monarch has worked extensively to help protect Guyana's huge forest regions and President Ali repaid the favour by appearing in the recent Harmony documentary to thank Charles for his work.

The King will also be greeted in Guyana by Ambassador Ivan Evelyn and British High Commissioner, Joseph Fisher, alongside the UK's Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, who has flown out for talks on the back of the trip.

Guyana is Britain's biggest trading partner in the Caribbean.

Tonight, the King and President Ali will hold talks before attending a State Reception in the garden of State House marking 60 years of bilateral relations between the two nations.

The King will view a performance of music and dance reflecting the Guyanese culture, before greeting guests, including Guyanese changemakers, parliamentarians and politicians, Chevening and Commonwealth scholars, and British members of the Guyanese diaspora community.

When actor and singer Sebastian Croft was named as part of this year's star–studded Celebrity Traitors line–up, fans could be forgiven for underestimating him. After all, most had no idea who he was.

Alongside the likes of Richard E Grant, Jerry Hall and Michael Sheen, the 24–year–old – who had a minor role in Game Of Thrones, but found fame in Netflix hit Heartstopper – was expected, perhaps, to remain in their shadows.

But Friday's final put a firm end to that as he rumbled the remaining Traitors and took the crown with fellow Faithful Romesh Ranganathan.

Describing his victory as 'just incredible', Bash said: 'This might actually be the best day of my life.'

When it comes to his career, that may well prove to be true. But Bash has been quietly carving out a showbusiness career, having attended acting academies since he was seven.

When he was a teenager, and already starring in the West End, his parents were so determined he would be a star they moved to a flat in Covent Garden so the theatre world was on his doorstep.

Bash's mother Doulla – who stood as a Green party candidate in Kensington and Chelsea in May's local elections, winning just 346 votes – said: 'We joke that from our flat it is quicker for us to go home in the interval to use the loos, than stand in a queue at the theatre.'

Bash's West End stage debut was in 2010 in Sam Mendes' production of Oliver! at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, and a year later he was cast as Gavroche in Les Miserables.

Actor Sebastian 'Bash' Croft, 24, has emerged as the breakout star of The Celebrity Traitors after winning the BBC competition alongside comedian Romesh Ranganathan

Bash’s mother Doulla stood as a Green party candidate in Kensington and Chelsea in May’s local elections, winning just 346 votes

Bash attended St Edward’s boarding school in Oxford. Pictured is St. Edward's School Woodstock Road, Oxford

Those who know Bash recall a comfortable upbringing. His father John is co–founder of Elevate, one of the leading innovators in the legal services industry, which generates about £100million in annual revenue.

Bash attended St Edward's boarding school in Oxford – where fees cost up to £62,000 a year – after leaving the nearby Dragon's independent school.

It means his £41,500 share of the Traitors prize pot, which will be donated to charity Choose Love, which supports LGBT refugees around the world, is rather small change.

But it is a cause close to his heart. He experienced his fair share of turmoil at St Edward's – in particular, after he was outed by a fellow student, who had also been his secret boyfriend. It led to him leaving the school at 16.

He said in an interview: 'I don't blame the other boy who did it, because he was obviously just also trying to navigate the fact that he was getting chipped for being gay. But it was a really lonely and difficult time in my life.'

He did his A–levels at the £35,000–a–year Mander Portman Woodward, a sixth–form college in Kensington.

After leaving school, Bash won the role of young Eddard Stark (portrayed by Sean Bean as an adult) in the sixth series of the HBO hit Game Of Thrones. His film debut came in the adaptation of Stephen Fry's novel The Hippopotamus, and he appeared in Horrible Histories: The Movie.

But his most prominent role has been as Ben Hope in the 2022 Netflix series Heartstopper, a coming–of–age drama about two teenage boys who fall in love.

Bash has kept his own love life out of the spotlight, but in recent weeks it has emerged that he dated his Heartstopper co–star Joe Locke. He is now single and focusing on a variety of projects. He releases his debut EP, The Great Forever, this month, while a weekly podcast, The Sunday Scaries With Bash Croft, starts today.

And armed with his friendship with the BBC's golden boy Ranganathan – along with the star–strewn cast of Celebrity Traitors – the opportunities are unlikely to dry up anytime soon.