Ellie Leach, a former Coronation Street actress, has been named as the tenth Strictly Come Dancing contender for the 2023 series.
The 22-year-old described her impending appearance as a “dream” as she joins Adam Thomas and Nikita Kanda in the lineup.
‘It still doesn’t feel real that I’m going to be doing Strictly!!’ she enthused.
Follow our Strictly Come Dancing 2023 live blog for the most up-to-date information about this year’s contestants.
‘It’s always been a dream of mine so I guess dreams really do come true!!!!’
Ellie’s addition to the ensemble was announced on Wednesday’s BBC Breakfast.
Coronation Street's Ellie Leach has a new storyline… #Strictly 2023!
👉 https://t.co/TuURVGBzdg @ellieLleach pic.twitter.com/92Qux11eKA
— BBC Strictly ✨ (@bbcstrictly) August 9, 2023
She also expressed relief that the news had finally reached her family.
‘My dad rarely shows his emotions but he was like “the hairs on the back of my neck are standing up, I’m so proud of you,”‘ she added.
She said that she did not inform her family of the news and that she lied about her location while in meetings with the BBC.
Ellie is best known for playing Faye Windass on Coronation Street for 12 years. She was nominated for multiple British Soap Awards and Inside Soap Awards for her role, which included being pregnant at 13, discovering she was going through menopause, and reconnecting with the child she had given up, which led to her departure from the cobbles earlier this year.
In May of this year, the actress departed Weatherfield for a new life in Slough with Jackson (Joseph Evans) and their daughter Miley.
Ellie featured in the indie film ‘A Boy Called Dad’ and the drama ‘Moving On’ before joining Coronation Street.
She joins Amanda Abbington, Angela Rippon, Layton Williams, Krishnan Guru-Murthy, Eddie Kadi, Angela Scanlon, Zara McDermott, and Adam and Nikita in the cast, with a few more names to be announced.
