BBC Strictly's Ellie Leach says 'it's difficult' as she declares love for Vito Coppola

Coronation Street's Ellie Leach has paid a touching tribute to her former Strictly Come Dancing partner Vito Coppola as they celebrated his birthday. The actress, who developed a close connection with the dance pro during their time on the 2023 series of the hit BBC show, took to social media to share her heartfelt message.

The pair charmed viewers and ultimately triumphed in the competition, taking home the coveted Glitterball trophy after a string of sensational routines. Their friendship has endured beyond the glitz of the dance floor, with Ellie often posting updates about Vito to her 423,000 Instagram followers.

Today, Ellie honoured Vito's birthday with a loving post, saying: "Happy birthday to the light of my life. Hope your day is as special as you are to me. I love you so much. Stay groovy, love you always."

Vito, who is currently dancing with Sarah Hadland in the new season of Strictly, was pleasantly surprised by a birthday reminder from fellow dancer Dianne Buswell. He shared his gratitude on Instagram with a video of the sweet treats she left for him, captioning it: "Good morning."

"I forgot that today it's my birthday. To find this surprise in my changing room has been heartwarming. Thank you gorgi @diannebuswell for just being amazing as always. Love you so much.", reports the Liverpool Echo.

Dianne and Vito are set to dazzle audiences on their upcoming tour next year, bringing their sizzling show, Red, Hot and Ready, to Merseyside on July 15 - 16. Meanwhile, Ellie Leach is hitting the road again as she dives back into acting with the theatrical run of Cluedo 2.

The production is slated to thrill Merseyside theatre-goers from November 12 - 16 at the Floral Pavilion in New Brighton. Ellie, ever transparent with her fans, has shared the challenges of touring life on social media.

Posting a candid selfie, she opened up: "Skin at the min. Being on tour is so difficult especially because I'm living out of a suitcase and don't have my normal routine with me, going from place to place so lots of travelling, change in weather, time of the month, all the usual factors that cause my breakouts. Running out of all my @elemis skincare too. I'm literally scraping the bottom of the pots."

Still buzzing from her Strictly triumph, Ellie confessed she's still processing the victory, admitting she'll never get over the euphoria of winning the Glitterball trophy. Reflecting on her journey, she released a heartfelt statement post-victory last year:.

She reflected: "Where to even begin. I don't think this feeling will ever feel real. For 3 months I feel like I've been living in a dream, I'm still waiting for someone to pinch me and wake me up! ! ! ! ! ! When I started Strictly I was nervous and shy."

"I had no self confidence or self belief and I was completely a glass half empty type of person. Always finding the negatives in every situation, focusing on the lows instead of the highs, worrying and overthinking about every single thing, mostly things that were out of my control."

"Signing up for Strictly, I knew it was going to be hard, I didn't know how hard it would be. I knew I was going to have fun, i didn't know just how much fun I would have."

"I've said it before and I'm honestly not saying this to be dramatic but Strictly has changed my life. I'm now a yes person. This experience has taught me that giving your best is all you can ask of yourself, worrying about things that are out of your control isn't going to stop them from happening."

"Saying no because you're scared is taking away an opportunity from yourself that could end up being great. I am stronger, more resilient and more confident. I have learnt that it's okay to be kind to yourself when you're having bad days and good days and i have learnt to cherish every single second of life because you will really see the joy it can bring."

"Strictly Come Dancing has been the most incredible experience. EVERYONE who works there makes the show what it is, especially the team behind the camera. I never realised how much work went into making a show like strictly. The love and support that the whole team have for each other is admirable and I feel so lucky that I got to be a small part of that."

"I can't thank you all enough for your support throughout the series. I can't believe that every week people voted because they wanted to see us dance again. Strictly wouldn't be what it is without the fans who watch it and vote every single weekend and there are no words to describe how grateful I am for that support."

"This win is for everyone who feels like they're not good enough. You are enough. Please be kinder to yourselves and have more belief and find joy in the little things".