Strictly Come Dancing 2023 dancer Vito Coppola has become a firm favourite on the glitzy show – and he only made his debut last year!
The 31-year-old pro from Naples was partnered up with Fleur East in 2022, and made it all the way to the final. Unfortunately for them, it was Hamza Yassin and Jowita Przystał who took home the Glitterball trophy that year.
But for Strictly 2023, Vito has been tipped to finally be crowned the champ. Dancing alongside Corrie star Ellie Leach, the pair have set the dance floor on fire every single week. The duo have also sparked plenty of romance rumours thanks to their chemistry – with many fans thinking the pair are an item.
But away from the dance floor and bright lights, who has Vito dated? And which celeb partner did he have a fling with on Strictly? Keep scrolling to find out…
Strictly 2023: Who is Vito Coppola going out with?
Ever since they set foot on the dance floor, Vito and Ellie have built up a seriously close bond. Thanks to their chemistry and on-screen partnership, the duo are on track to make it all the way to the final.
And it’s fair to say the couple have been hit with romance rumours. Especially when Vito called Ellie his “baby” and kissed her on the cheek.
But earlier this month, Ellie hit back at claims that her and Vito’s kisses are anything more than a sign of their “deep” friendship.
In a new interview with OK! magazine, Ellie and Vito‘s post-dance kisses were brought up – much to the Corrie star’s embarrassment. The 22-year-old insisted that their kisses were nothing more than a sign of friendship.
“It was only a kiss on the cheek,” she said during the interview. “He gives me a kiss on the cheek every Saturday! It was definitely on the cheek.” However, Ellie did insist her friendship with Vito will last forever.
Strictly pro Vito Coppola and Helen Skelton ‘bonded’
Earlier this year, it was widely reported that Vito and Helen Skelton, who appeared on Vito’s first series of Strictly in 2022, were enjoying a series of dates.
The television presenter split from rugby player ex-husband Richie Myler last year, shortly before signing up for Strictly Come Dancing.
The Italian star is reported to have attracted a great deal of attention from stars behind the scenes. And it is Helen who has caught his eye, with reports claiming the two ‘bonded’ while on tour and on the tour bus travelling between cities.
A source told The Mirror that the two Strictly stars “were good friends during Strictly, but really bonded on tour”.
“There were two buses for the cast – the party bus and the quiet bus. They [Helen and Vito] spent a lot of time chatting on the quiet bus and getting to know each other.”
Between shows, Helen and Vito are said to have “spent time together one-on-one, like going for coffee, just the two of them”. The source continued: “Then, if the whole group went for dinner, they would sit together, deep in conversation.”
Vito had Strictly co-star romance
Prior to his Strictly stint, Vito appeared on the Italian version of the show, Stars Ballando con le Stelle.
In 2021, he was partnered up with pop star Arisa and the duo went on to become champions of that series. But after a year of dating, they split after facing a “rocky patch”, according to reports in Italy.
Vito confirmed their break-up to a local outlet. He said: “We have remained on good terms, but ours is only a friendly one. We are not a couple, we are not talking about coexistence: today we are not together.”
‘I had never felt true love before’
His ex Arisa also seemed to reference her break-up with Vito before the release of her single in 2022. Alongside a post of the song Tu Mi Perdición, she said: “My heart went through a very hard time for the first time in my life, shed many tears and fought with the obsession of an idea that stole my smile for months. A circular thought, made up of sleepless nights, as if I had a strange fever that too away my hunger and desire for anything.”
She went on: “I’m better now. I understood that I had never felt true love before and I discovered that I was able to give so much. I don’t care about the outcome. I’m proud of myself and would do it again a thousand times,” she concluded.
Read more: Strictly star Amy Dowden left ‘in limbo’ as she heads back into hospital for monthly treatment
Strictly is on tonight (November 25) at 7.30pm on BBC One.
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