This weekend, Ellie Leach and her professional partner Vito Coppola celebrated their success on Strictly Come Dancing in the most romantic way.
The former Coronation Street star, 22, and her Italian partner, 30, have been the subject of dating rumours, with Strictly fans expecting them to confirm their relationship once the show concludes.
Ellie and Vito, on the other hand, have insisted that they are simply friends while continuing to be extremely affectionate with one another on television.
Ellie and Vito jumped for joy this weekend after scoring 39 points from the judges after performing a Charleston in Blackpool’s famous Tower Ballroom.
Vito was ecstatic after receiving three 10s from Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse, and Anton Du Beke, and he lavished Ellie with kisses.
Vito went in for the kisses as the actress leaned in for a hug, jumping up and down with his arms around Ellie.
Ellie and Vito performed an energetic and daring routine to Girls Aloud‘s Love Machine, putting them at the top of the leaderboard alongside Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzmin.
‘You just looked like you were totally at home!’, head judge Shirley told the beaming Corrir alum in her feedback.
‘Wow, we were very, very nervous,’ she and Motsi laughed after watching Vito flinging Ellie up in the air.
‘But you did it fantastically!’
‘It’s incredible. The energy? Brilliant,’ exclaimed Anton. ‘I love the detail.’
Mr Nasty, aka Craig Revel Horwood, was the only judge who did not give Ellie and Vito a perfect ten, but he did give them a nine.
He told Ellie in his comments that she was’slightly ahead of the beat in one very small section.’
‘But, my goodness, that has to be one of the hardest Charlestons we’ve seen, also the best cross swivel I’ve seen in this show ever,’ he concluded. Incredible.’
Ellie and Vito have become firm Strictly fans’ favourites, and they are widely expected to make the final in a few weeks.
Viewers are also rooting for them in a romantic sense, with one writing on social media tonight: ‘If Ellie and Vito don’t end up together, I’m going to be disappointed’.
https://twitter.com/Herbivore_/status/1725986525479837779
https://twitter.com/louischicagox/status/1725989584566096092
Ellie and Vito! One word: Wow!!!! Definitely my winners! #Strictly #Strictlyblackpool
— Vicky Strange (@VickyStrange) November 18, 2023
Ellie & Vito deserved 40 tonight! #strictly Such an amazing routine 💃🕺🪩
— Caroline 🌎🌷 (@envirolineblog) November 18, 2023
They’ve repeatedly expressed their love for one another – platonically, for the time being – with Ellie recently denying any NSFW kissing between them.
‘It was only a kiss on the cheek. He gives me a kiss on the cheek every Saturday! It was definitely on the cheek,’ she told OK! magazine after last week saw Vito kiss her face.
‘We really, really get along and we have a lovely friendship. I hope we can continue that.’
She added: ‘We’ve got a really good relationship where we kind of know what the other needs. Vito even lets me have power naps during training.’
Ellie split from her boyfriend in May this year after a five-year relationship.
The actress previously opened up about the split, telling the Mirror: ‘Being cheated on was upsetting, but now’s the perfect time to put my all into Strictly and give that 500%.’
Strictly Come Dancing airs Saturday and Sunday on BBC One and iPlayer.
