28 October 2023 , 16:25
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From the cobbles of Coronation street, actor Ellie Leach, who plays Faye Windass, split with her dancer boyfriend earlier this year after dating for five years. The soap star, who is part of this year's Strictly Come Dancing line-up, is now partnered with another dancer, Vito Coppola.
Due to their chemistry on screen, the pair has attracted much attention from the fans which could help them to Glitter Ball victory. In a recent interview Ellie, 22, gushed about her pro partner.
"You are the most genuine and loving person ever, ever. You give the best cuddles and I'm excited to see the bonds that we build over the course of our Strictly journey," Ellie said of Vito during the interview. The former Corrie actress, who left earlier this year after 12 years, split from model and dancer Reagan Pettman in May, with a source saying, "Ellie and Reagan decided to call things a day and she is making the most of her single status."
Ellie and her partner Reagan split earlier this year (Instagram)
Ellie's chemistry with Vitto is clear to see (PA)They added that the star had "taken time to reflect which direction her life is going in." Ellie later revealed the reason for the split was that Reagan had cheated on her, telling The Mirror: "Being cheated on was upsetting, but now’s the perfect time to put my all into Strictly and give that 500 percent." Vito, 30, was in a relationship with singer Arisa, who was his celeb partner on Italy's 2021 version of the show but the pair are also understood to have split.
Both Vito and Ellie post frequently on Instagram about their training and performances, and eagle-eyed fans were quick to spot that the Italian dancer called her ‘baby’ in a post shared on Tuesday. Sharing a clip of their Samba dance from the weekend, Vito wrote in the caption, “Well done baby @ellielouiseleach You are making me proud every single time!”
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Ellie also previously opened up on how struggles with confidence, explaining “Self-confidence is something I’ve always struggled with. As an actor, people don’t see that – they think you’re this confident person and you can do anything. I’m hoping Strictly will bring that for me, push me and make me realise I’m capable of things."
But she has credited Vito with giving her lots of encouragement, telling The Mirror: “Vito has taught me so much already. He tells me, ‘it’s a competition with yourself. If you’re tired, fight it, if you’re stressed, fight it'. I also don’t praise myself enough, I just focus on the wrong. But then he’ll say to me, ‘Yeah, but you just did that…’”
The actress also explained how she is very close to Vito, and comfortable letting all her emotions out around him. "The physical closeness is weird.," she said. "They say when you dance, two people become like one. It does help to be an actor. But poor Vito, because I’ve been sweating, I’ve been crying… I’ll cry at anything – if I’m happy, I cry, if I’m sad, I cry, if I’m excited, I cry, if I’m angry, I cry. So whether it’s tears or sweat, he’s going to end up soaked.”