09 December 2023 , 21:27
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Strictly Come Dancing professional Vito Coppola to partner Ellie Leach during the semi-finals.
The duo sailed into the semi-finals after scoring 36 with their quickstep on Musicals Week. On Saturday night, Ellie and Vito returned to the dancefloor once more where they performed two dances for a spot in the final. They did the Cha-Cha and a Couples' Choice dance to secure a place in next week's show.
After their final performance of the night, Vito gushed over Ellie as they waited for their results from the judges. He told host Claudia Winkleman: "Honestly, I am so proud of this girl. I met a very shy, a super shy girl and look at her now. She is super strong, independent woman. Before she was like 'I cannot do that', the first week was like 'I am not able to do that', 'I am not good enough', 'I am not coordinated', everything was a no. Now, everything has become a yes."
Ellie and Vito gave another passionate performance in the semi-finals (BBC)He then kissed Ellie on the cheek and whispered "I am so proud of you". When asked by Claudia why Ellie should be in the final, he added: "I always have one thousand things to say, in this case, I will be as short as possible. In this case, Ellie is a representation of what the Strictly journey is. She started from a completely white page, she didn't have any idea what a warmup is. She is now able to do all of this.
"Not even a pro dancer are capable to do sometimes what she is doing now. Really I am so so proud of this girl. I don't have many words, I am just so proud of this girl." Vito then gave Ellie a big hug and kissed her again. The pair scored 111 points during the semi-final, placing them second on the leaderboard.
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The 31-year-old Italian dance professional has featured on the long-running BBC talent show since 2022, and has set pulses racing with his passionate dance routines and electric connection with Ellie. Strictly fans have been gripped by the energy between Vito and Ellie – with rumours flying the pair have become more than just friends during their time on the show. The dance expert and the 22-year-old former Coronation Street actress have shimmied their way through fiery performances on the show, with routines often ending with them kissing each other affectionately.
The couple have appeared to be working hard to dismiss the suggestion of a romance – with Vito recently downplaying a kiss he planted on the soap star as a mere example of his acting skills, saying playing a “character” during his routines helps him “to dance”. And Ellie has also tried to downplay the suggestion of a bubbling romance.
Hitting out at suggestions the pair have been passionately kissing, she laughed to OK!: "It was only a kiss on the cheek… He gives me a kiss on the cheek every Saturday! It was definitely on the cheek." Ellie has also explained that Vito has been getting on well with her family. She told Closer: "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."
The pair have even been accused of putting on a 'showmance' in a bid to get votes. Ellie revealed she and Vito are focused on their routines despite the pair growing close each week. She said: "There is always speculation about the couples on Strictly. But honestly, we are just so busy dancing."