BBC Strictly Come Dancing 'baby' Ellie Leach declared love amid Coronation Street star 'dig'

Strictly Come Dancing star Vito Coppola has gushed over his former dance partner Ellie Leach while her former Coronation Street co-star made a cheeky gig as she reflected on the epic events of the end of last year.

It's been four months since actress Ellie and Italian dancer Vito lifted the glitterball trophy as they were crowned champions of the BBC One dance contest's 2023 series. After 12 weeks of impressing the judges and those watching at home, the pair emerged victorious in the grand finale.

Ellie, 23, and Vito, 31, faced stiff competition during the last live show of the series with Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzmin and Bobby Brazier and Dianne Buswell making it to the end of the series. All three couples performed their hearts out in three different routines before the public decided their winners.

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After going their separate ways for Christmas and New Year, all three final couples were reunited on the Strictly Come Dancing Live tour earlier this year. But after touring the country for three weeks, performing in 31 shows in nine different cities, there were emotional scenes when Ellie and Vito once again went their separate ways.

Ellie has since gone on to pastures new and while still living out of her suitcase, she is now hitting the road in her stage debut as Miss Scarlett in Cluedo 2 - The Next Chapter. Meanwhile, Vito is now back in rehearsals ahead of touring with some of his fellow Strictly pro dancers from May 1.

But despite being busy with her new gig, and a return to the small screen in new ITVBe reality series Drama Queens, Ellie was keen to remember her and Vito's Strictly win as she took to social media with a picture from the night it all happened.

The snap posted to Instagram showed Ellie and Vito in the show's famous ballroom. They were beaming as they lifted their sparkly trophy with the image captured just moments after Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman announced their names and the cameras stopped rolling.

Sharing the picture with her 427,000 followers, Ellie said: "Looking back through some pictures…a moment i will never forget." Vito was quick to respond, writing: "Babyyyyyy LOVE YOU."

But Ellie's former on-screen boyfriend, aka Corrie co-star Colson Smith, commented: "My December phone bill always reminds me," after he pledged his support to her friend throughout the series. Meanwhile, soap star cousin Brooke Vincent sweetly shared: "Best moment ever!!! Not just for you!! So proud of you always."