Strictly’s Vito Coppola says he and Ellie Leach are ‘in rehearsals all day’ ahead of final

Strictly Come Dancing star Vito Coppola says he and his partner Ellie Leach are busy with rehearsals all day long ahead of the final.

The 22-year-old Coronation Street actress and Coppola,31, are one of the three remaining couples hoping to become champions of this year’s heated dance competition.

“We’re so into the rehearsals all day, we have so many things to think about, and choreography, and lifts, up, down, left, right,” Coppola told the Metro.

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“And after we finish we have the time to eat fast enough, and then we nap a little bit because we need the energy to continue the rehearsals,” he continued. “After, we go home, and we just say, ‘Let’s make sure we eat and go to sleep’, because the next day we have to be back again, so we really are so focused on this beautiful experience.

“Words can’t describe how much we’re really enjoying every single day, every single rehearsal, every single second of this amazing Strictly.”

During last week’s semi-finals on Sunday 10 December, Leach shared a special message to Coppola.

After discovering they’d secured their spot in the Strictly grand finale by public vote, Claudia Winkleman asked the visibly thrilled actress what she’d like to say to Coppola.

“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,” Leach said.

“Without you, I couldn’t have done this experience at all. You have changed my life.”

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Leach was also showered with praise by her dance partner after the show. The pair closed Saturday night’s show with their Couple’s Choice, set to a Dua Lipa medley - which appeared to be a celebration of her newfound confidence on the dance floor.

“Honestly I am so proud of this girl, I met a super shy girl and look at her now,” Coppola said after their semi-final performance.

“She is super strong, independent. Before she was like ‘I cannot do that’. Everything was a no and now everything has become a yes,” he added, kissing Leach’s forehead.

The two dancers have been subject to dating rumours for quite a while now – rumours that the couple have shut down in the past.

Speaking about their chemistry together, Leach reportedly told The Mirror: "I think that obviously we’ve danced together for three months. Obviously, we’ve been together every single day and you really have to be able to truth in each other.

“I think as well for me, Vito is an amazing dancer and that’s why he’s a professional. So I have to trust him. But also, it’s a lot about him putting trust in me because it’s something that I’ve never done before. So for him to make the choreography so difficult, there has to be a lot of trust there."

Coppola added: "I trusted her since day one, and I believe in her potential. She didn’t trust in herself so I said to her, ok first I have to have your trust. So I made it in the way that you have to trust me first. Now once you trust me, if I trust me, trust me that I trust you."

The star-studded competition is reaching its final days with Bobby Brazier, Dianne Buswell, Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzmin still in the run-up in hopes of lifting the dazzling glitterball trophy.

The Strictly Come Dancing final will air on Saturday 16 December on BBC One.