Strictly Come Dancing star Ellie Leach has been surrounded by romance rumours with her partner – and has now clarified their relationship after a ‘kiss’.
On this year’s series of the BBC competition, the former Coronation Street actress and her professional dance partner Vito Coppola have been going from strength to strength.
Their highest score so far has been for their American Smooth, which received a 39 out of a possible 40 in week seven.
In addition to their prowess on the dancefloor, their growing connection has also sparked the interest of viewers, especially after Amanda Abbington appeared to confirm that they had become more than friends.
After Amanda referred to Ellie and Vito as a ‘beautiful couple’, the dancer planted a kiss on his partner’s cheek on live TV, adding further fuel to the rumours.
They were seen looking extremely close while rehearsing one of their routines, with their most recent dance having been a very passionate Rumba, for which they received a score of 35.
However, the pair are insisting that they are just friends.
Speaking in a new interview, Ellie, 22, referred to their week five Paso doble, after which Vito, 30, was seen placing his hands on her cheek and kissing her twice.
‘It was only a kiss on the cheek. He gives me a kiss on the cheek every Saturday! It was definitely on the cheek,’ she told OK! magazine.
‘We really, really get along and we have a lovely friendship. I hope we can continue that.’
She added: ‘We’ve got a really good relationship where we kind of know what the other needs. Vito even lets me have power naps during training.’
Ellie split from her boyfriend in May this year after a five-year relationship.
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The actress previously opened up about the split, telling the Mirror: ‘Being cheated on was upsetting, but now’s the perfect time to put my all into Strictly and give that 500%.’
Opening up about her bond with Vito, she added: ‘The physical closeness is weird. They say when you dance, two people become like one.
‘It does help to be an actor. But poor Vito, because I’ve been sweating, I’ve been crying… I’ll cry at anything – if I’m happy, I cry, if I’m sad, I cry, if I’m excited, I cry, if I’m angry, I cry. So whether it’s tears or sweat, he’s going to end up soaked.’
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Strictly Come Dancing returns on Saturday at 6.40pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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