Strictly winner Ellie Leach on 'scary' career move after Coronation Street exit

Strictly Come Dancing winner Ellie Leach has opened up about life after walking away with the glitterball the BBC show in 2023. The 23-year-old, who appeared on the series last year with dance partner Vito Coppola, is currently appearing in Cluedo 2 at Cardiff’s New Theatre.

Ellie, who plays Miss Scarlett in the comedy-mystery play, told WalesOnline: “I've always said that Strictly changed my life, and I think that people go, ‘I don't know how a dance competition can change your life,’ but it's so much more than that. I built so much confidence when doing Strictly that probably, if I hadn’t have done it, I maybe wouldn't have said yes to doing Cluedo because I was so scared about doing theatre and being in front of a live audience and having that reaction straight away.

“It's scary. It's something that's completely out of my comfort zone and new to me. Strictly gave me that confidence to be like, you know what, I’m going to try something new.”

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Cluedo 2, which is based on the popular Hasbro board game, has been written by BAFTA Award winners Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran and directed by Mark Bell, the director of the original hit UK production of Cluedo and the global hit, The Play That Goes Wrong. Ellie, who has been appearing in the show across the country, said that life has been “very, very busy”.

She added: “I’m very grateful to be working, of course, and to now be doing something new, obviously came straight from Strictly, did the tour, and then started rehearsals for Cluedo whilst doing the Strictly tour. I feel like I'm just constantly running on adrenaline.”

Ellie first entered the limelight when she played Faye Windass on long-running ITV soap opera Coronation Street. Appearing on the show between 2011 and 2023 the character was involved in several major storylines, including teenage pregnancy and being sexually assaulted. According to the actress her Corrie co-stars have been very supportive of her work on-stage in Cluedo 2.

“On the opening night of the show, a lot of the cast from Corrie came to watch. It was really nice to see them because I've not seen them for a while. There was a lot of people supporting and I'm really grateful that people are following me around and supporting what I'm doing.”

One of Ellie’s former co-star that is doing particularly well is Millie Gibson, who recently appeared as the Fifteenth Doctor’s (Ncuti Gatwa) companion Ruby Sunday in the latest series of Doctor Who. Ellie said of this: “I’m honestly so proud of her. She's amazing, and I'm glad that everyone can really see her talent.”

While she has no immediate plans to return to Coronation Street Ellie did say “never say never”. She added: “I’m really, really enjoying doing something new and being out of my comfort zone. It will always be a massive part of my life, and I will always cherish the memories that I've got there. It's like my family. I grew up there. I was there for 12 years.”

Another show that Ellie owes a lot to is Strictly Come Dancing. During her time on the show last year the public and judges fell in love with the star, continually voting to save her in the competition. She was loved so much, in fact, that she won the iconic glitter ball trophy. Said trophy holds pride of place in her family’s kitchen, Ellie said, adding: “Every time someone comes round, my Dad offers a selfie with the glitter ball like it's his!”

Cluedo 2 is being performed at New Theatre, Cardiff until Saturday, June 29. Tickets are available here.