Strictly Come Dancing pro Vito Coppola was left speechless after Ellie Leach made the sweetest confession.
The former Coronation Street actress, 22, and Italian dance star, 31, have been engulfed by romance rumours over recent weeks, what with their affectionate displays and adorable declarations.
Vito has repeatedly kissed Ellie on the face and they are forever wrapping their arms around one another, whether it’s in interviews or on public outings.
So, it’ll come as no surprise that Ellie had the most loving words for Vito when reflecting on her Strictly experience.
Well, the declaration did come as a shock to Vito, who burst into tears and, uncharacteristically, didn’t know what to say.
After sailing through to the final thanks to the public vote – along with Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzmin – Ellie was asked what she would like to say to her partner.
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‘Thank you so much for being the best partner, the best friend, always making me laugh, always picking me up when I feel down, always pushing me to put all that hard work in,’ she told Vito.
‘Without you, I couldn’t have done this experience at all.’
‘You have changed my life,’ Ellie added with a smile.
The pro quickly pulled her into an embrace and kissed her on the cheek twice.
‘Vito, ladies and gentlemen, is now lost for words, hold that,’ presenter Claudia joked, given how the much-loved Strictly star is often rambling at a million miles per hour.
‘You ok, baby?’, she asked sweetly.
‘No, yes,’ Vito replied with his thumb up, causing Ellie to giggle.
Speaking about how it feels to have made the Strictly 2023 final – as well as Bobby Brazier and Dianne Buswell, who were saved in the dance-off – Vito added that he is ‘over the moon’.
‘I’m just so happy!’, he exclaimed.
Ellie and Vito have maintained that their relationship is purely platonic, with Ellie recently quizzed after Vito gave her a peck on the cheek following their judges’ comments for their paso doble.
‘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!.
‘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.’
While most Strictly fans are fully obsessed with their partnership, not everyone is convinced by the Ellie and Vito romance rumours.
In fact, some believe the duo are ‘faking’ it to garner more votes.
It has been claimed that their lovey-dovey behaviour is ‘all for show’, with a source saying: ‘Vito is an experienced pro, and knows what he’s doing.’
‘He and Ellie had an instant friendship and a great connection, but it definitely wasn’t sexual.
‘However, once viewers picked up on their connection, Vito especially was keen to let people jump to their own conclusions,’ they added when speaking to The Sun.
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The insider also said: ‘By letting people think they’re together, the hope is they’ll further endear themselves to the nation.
‘A few others on the show think it’s a bit cynical but they genuinely are having a lot of fun together.’
Ellie and Vito will perform three last dances in next weekend’s final as they battle it out against West End star Layton and EastEnders actor Bobby with the hopes of lifting the glitterball trophy.
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The Strictly Come Dancing 2023 final airs Saturday on BBC One and iPlayer.
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