Strictly's Ellie Leach says she could 'sit and watch devilishly handsome partner all day'

Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola in a warm embrace (Image: INSTAGRAM)

Ellie Leach seems to still be riding the wave of her 2023 Strictly Come Dancing win, as it's only been a few months since she jubilantly lifted the trophy. Now, she's announced her passion for her pro partner, reposting a photo of him while gushing: "Devilishly handsome he is!"

The nostalgic ex-Coronation Street star also admitted to her almost half a million Instagram followers that she can't stop staring at him. Sharing a video of Vito tucking into a snack on an aeroplane while bashfully hiding his face from her camera, she cheekily captioned the footage: "I could honestly just sit and watch videos of @vitocoppola all day."

She accented the comment with a tears of laughter emoji, implying that she was simply enjoying teasing him. Romance rumours followed the pair - who have an age gap of almost a decade - throughout their Strictly journey.

The nation spoke of their electrifying onstage chemistry, which won over the hearts of voters and saw them clinch the 2023 trophy. However, the pair broke their silence at Christmas time to confirm that they are merely good "friends".

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Vito stated: "We have a great relationship", before adding that he also "loves" Ellie's family. "You just find these people that you think are going to stay in my life forever, in each other's lives forever - and all the family and the dogs!" he exclaimed.

READ MORE: BBC Strictly fans in tears after Ellie Leach makes heartbreaking admission [LATEST]

Ellie Leach admitted she finds Vito Coppola "devilishly handsome" (Image: INSTAGRAM)

"Don't worry, I am going to annoy you every single day, every week and every single year," Vito playfully teased.

Ellie then further quashed romance rumours, chiming in: "Yes, [but] as good friends."

The actress was subsequently linked to fellow Strictly 2023 star Bobby Brazier - an EastEnders actor whose late mum Jade Goody was one of the UK's earliest Big Brother stars.

The two were pictured cuddling in behind the scenes photos from the Strictly tour and they said they'd bonded over being the two youngest members of the cast, at 20 and 22.

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Vito Coppola was captured on video by besotted Ellie Leach (Image: INSTAGRAM) SUBSCRIBE Invalid email

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However, when quizzed at red carpet events, Ellie remained tight-lipped about whether the pair had been dating, refusing to confirm anything more than a friendship.

Meanwhile, Bobby has reportedly since found love with EastEnders co-star Jazzy Phoenix and has been showering her Instagram posts with love heart emojis as the pair continue to get closer.

Bobby, 20, plays Freddie Slater, while his 23-year-old reported love interest plays sex worker Nadine Keller on the BBC soap.

In other dating news, Bobby also opened up on the TV Choice Awards red carpet back in February about whether he'd ever date an older woman, after he admitting his "love" for stunning Strictly partner Dianne Buswell.

Although he called her "the love of my life" on Instagram, he revealed that taking things to the next level is "not even a thing that I'm considering" as she was more like a "big sister".