19 November 2023 , 12:22
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The mother of Strictly Come Dancing star Ellie Leach has broken her silence on rumours her daughter is romantically involved with her professional dance partner, Vito Coppola.
Coronation Street actress Ellie and Italian Vito have set tongues wagging throughout the latest series of the BBC show after performing several steamy routines and dropping hints of a relationship in their interviews. The pair finished joint top of the Blackpool Week leaderboard on Saturday (November 18) after the judges awarded them 39 for their Charleston to Love Machine by Girls Aloud.
In separate Instagram posts earlier this month, Vito, 31, referred to 22-year old Ellie as "my baby" and a "diamond". Ellie, meanwhile, wrote 'Love you' on posts to her partner, whilst departed co-star Amanda Abbington referred to the pair as a "beautiful couple".
Karen says Vito has visited the family for dinner and takes a keen interest in her cooking (Instagram/ellielouiseleach)Now, Ellie's 50 year-old mum, Karen, has opened up on their bond, revealing the Italian has even joined her family for dinner recently. "Even though Vito is teaching her to dance, he has also been helping her focus on her self-confidence and inner strengths, which is something she has always suffered with growing up," Karen explained to the Sun on Sunday.
She continued: "They have formed such a wonderful friendship and have a great connection on the dance floor. He is such fun to be around and so confident. He has spent dinner with us on a few occasions. Wow, he can eat! It is great for me as I am a feeder, so he fits in just fine."
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Clearly taking an interest in her cooking, Karen added of Vito: "He loves to hang around over my shoulder while I’m cooking to see what ingredients I’m putting together. It is lovely having him over. He has such a lovely aura about him."
Ellie and Vito finished joint top of the Blackpool Week leaderboard (PA)Earlier this week Ellie and Vito did little to dispel the rumours after they were spotted cosying up on a date night. Stepping out for a night time stroll, Ellie wore a beige trench coat over a warm looking black outfit, with Vito donning a heavy black coat and a scarf wrapped securely around his neck.
Oblivious to onlookers, the pair seemed to be sharing a joke as they both looked lovingly into each other's eyes as they walked along the street. It came two days after Ellie had admitted Vito was "part of the family".
Addressing her partner in Closer, Ellie said: "You've been round quite a few times for tea after training. We spend so much time rehearsing together, so it's nice that they can get to know him more. He's part of the family." And revealing what they like most about each other, Vito gushed: "As a student, Ellie never says no and I love her sense of humour." Meanwhile, Ellie said she loves the fact Vito brings "fun into the training room", revealing they spend most of the rehearsals "laughing".