30 September 2023 , 17:00
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After her fabulous first live performance on Strictly Come Dancing, Coronation star Ellie Leach certainly has all eyes on her.
The 22-year-old star was told she “has it all” by Shirley Ballas after her impressive jive with Strictly pro Vito Coppola to Can’t Tame Her by Zara Larsson. While the soap actress will be firmly in the limelight for the next 12 weeks, behind the scenes Ellie has a very famous cousin who she rarely mentions.
Earlier this year, it was confirmed that Ellie would be stepping down from her role as Faye Windass after 12 years on Corrie. Part of her Corrie family over the years had included her character’s stepsister on the ITV soap, Sophie Webster - played by Brooke Vincent. The 31-year-old left the show in 2019 for maternity leave, after 18 years on screen since she was a child.
Ellie Leach as Faye Windass in CorrieBut what many people don’t realise is that Ellie and Brooke are actually related in real life and are in fact cousins. Despite having an eight-year age gap, the cousins seem really close with Ellie actually being godmother to Brooke’s son, Mexx.
Just last year, Ellie referred to herself as Brooke’s “mini me” when she posted on Instagram for her 30th birthday, saying: "All I’ve wanted to do since I was younger is be like you. To dress like you, to have my hair the way you have yours, to wear them 7 inch platform heels you wore which I still have no idea how, but most of all to be the kind of person you are.”
Corrie's Sue Cleaver says I'm A Celebrity stint helped her to push boundaries
After announcing she would be leaving Coronation Street earlier this year, Ellie opened up about the advice Brooke had given when she was just ten years old. Speaking to The Mirror and other press, Ellie explained: "She was like be yourself, everyone will love you and that's what I've done. I've just been myself and that is why I have been here so long, I've been myself but also I made this part of me and that will never go away. Corrie and Faye Windass will always be a part of me."
Ellie Leach with her cousin Brooke Vincent in 2019 (ellielouiseleach / Instagram)
Ellie Leach on Strictly (BBC/Ray Burmiston)At the end of August, Ellie shared adorable pictures from an epic send-off planned by Brooke before she began her stint at Strictly, reported the . Explaining on social media that her older cousin persuaded her they were going for a “few quiet drinks” down her local, she discovered it was a big “good luck” bash before her Strictly debut. Writing on Instagram about the surprise party, Ellie said: “Having all my family and friends together just having fun is something that I will always cherish, I can’t believe the love and support I have received already, feeling so grateful and blessed."