Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola have shared a joint update. They were dance partners on Strictly Come Dancing in 2023 and have remained close friends since.
After impressing the nation with their footwork and their friendship, they headed into the Strictly final as odds-on favourites before lifting the Glitterball Trophy on the much-loved dance competition.
When competing on the show, the professional dancer and former Coronation Street actress promised each other they would get matching tattoos if they got to the final. They stayed true to their promise and on January 31 2024, they showcased their new tattoos together. The design is of a bee with an aubergine body, which relates to an inside joke they share.
Ellie only got the bee inked onto her arm but Vito also got the word ‘Resilience’ tattooed on his arm. On Instagram, Ellie shared a picture to her story of their tattoos and captioned it: “One whole year with our gorgeous baby bees” alongside a bee emoji. Fellow Strictly partner Vito, reposted the image and added “Oh baby. It’s one year already… time flies.”
The Italian pro dancer recently shared devastating news with fans of the BBC show. He announced he will miss the rest of the live tour. The 32-year-old was set to reprise his partnership with Sarah Hadland on the nationwide tour.
However, he suffered an injury which forced him to miss the opening dates in Birmingham. Vito was hopeful he would be able to return to the show in Sheffield and managed to return for one date. He suffered another setback which meant he missed the shows in Liverpool this week.
In a heartfelt message to latest Strictly partner, Sarah Hadland, Vito wrote: “Team Tiramisu for one last time. I will keep following you and cheering for you, as always and I will come to watch the show every single time I can, so don’t worry, you won’t get rid of me.
“I promised you that I will take more care of me and my body and I want you to promise me that you will always stay the same enthusiastic, super active, smiling and jumpy person I have met few months ago, before this incredible experience started… keep shining Trilly, you are full of life.”