Former Strictly star Amanda Abbington has seemingly confirmed speculation Ellie Leach and her pro partner Vito Coppola are dating.
The Sherlock actress, who quit the BBC show last month, raised eyebrows as she referred to the pair as “the most beautiful couple” under an Instagram post the Corrie star, 22, had shared on Sunday.
The photo was of Leach and Coppola during their latest performance which landed them at the leaderboard for a second time with a near perfect score of 39 for their American Smooth.
Leach captioned the shot: “thank you, thank you, thank you. What a magical night, we are so grateful for all of your support and we’re soooo happy to be through to another week on that Strictly dance floor”.
Among fan reaction to the dancing pair’s feat, their former co-star commented: “Stunning. So proud of the both of you. You are the most beautiful couple!”.
The Standard have contacted Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola's reps for comment.
Ahead of Saturday’s show, both Leech and Coppola took to social media to share heartfelt tributes to one another amid claims their working relationship had “turned personal”.
The pro dancer, 33, marked his first year of living in the UK, having arrived from Italy, with a sweet video in which he referred to the actress as “My Lulú“.
Coppola wrote alongside the clip: "Just THANK YOU. Sorry for repeating the same thing more times but this is the only way I have to show you all my gratitude and How thankful I am".
'One year ago when I moved here to the UK I couldn’t imagine that I would have feel so loved. Thank you thank you thank you very much'.
Then in a special message to Leach, he said: "And to you my Lulu... I am so proud of you and you know how much I believe in you.
"Just keep working hard as you are already doing every day. You are doing great baby. Have a good rest tonight and make sure you eat properly. See you tomorrow for another beautiful day together.
Leech responded to the post, writing underneath: “Love you love you love you”.
Last week, a source told The Daily Star that the pair’s relationship was “bigger than what the camera captures”.
Telling the publication: “Vito and Ellie's connection is more than dance showmanship. It's turned personal, heartfelt, real. There's a unique glow around them in rehearsals, a palpable warmth”.
