Strictly Come Dancing star Ellie Leach has urged people to stop speculating about the nature of her relationship with Vito Coppola in a defiant social media post.
The pair have been subject to romance rumours ever since appearing on and subsequently winning the show's most recent series. They have already shut dating rumours down and asserted they're good friends.
However, fans continue to speculate, with many questioning Vito's absence in one of Ellie's recent Instagram posts.
Related: Strictly's Ellie Leach praises Vito for help with "personal journey"
The former Coronation Street star shared a series of photos to her Instagram page yesterday (March 11), including some behind-the-scenes pictures from the UK touring production of Cluedo 2 - The Next Chapter, in which she plays Miss Scarlett.
Following some comments asking why Vito wasn't featured in the post, Ellie took to her Instagram Story to share a photo of the professional dancer.
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"Love this man dearly. Men and women can be friends and can love each other AS FRIENDS... just saying x @vitocopolla you have the cutest face," she captioned it.
Related: Strictly's Ellie Leach and Bobby Brazier make joint appearance amid dating rumours
Vito and Ellie hit the dancefloor again in January for the 2024 live arena tour, with the pair often sharing behind-the-scenes updates from the road.
Last month, they shared a sweet video of them explaining their love for each other ahead of their final performance.
"Baby? Are we about to perform our last show together?" Vito asked Ellie in the video, before saying "I love you so much" and kissing her cheek.
"I love you," Ellie replied, later adding: "I am very, very lucky that I got to experience this experience with you."
Strictly Come Dancing will return later this year on BBC One, while spin-off Strictly: It Takes Two airs on weeknights on BBC Two. Both shows are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
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Social Executive, Entertainment Portfolio After completing her joint honours degree in Journalism and English Literature at Cardiff University, Iona joined Digital Spy as a Content Production Intern in 2022, where she wrote across both news and features, specialising in TV and movies. Following her internship, Iona continued contributing to the site as a freelance reporter, becoming social executive for the Hearst UK entertainment portfolio in summer 2025. Iona now leads the DS social channels, covering red carpets with stars such as Paul Mescal, Austin Butler, and more.
