03 February 2024 , 18:16
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Ellie Leach and Bobby Brazier were all smiles as they greeted fans outside their hotel during the latest set of Starkly Come Dancing Live Tour performances.
The 22-year-old former Coronation Street star and the 20-year-old EastEnders actor have been making headlines in recent weeks as rumours swirl that they are dating. However, the duo emerged from the Lowry hotel in Manchester solo as they prepared to perform at the AO Arena in the northern city.
Ellie - who won the long-running BBC dance show last year - looked chic, yet relaxed, in a pair of loose fitting black jogging bottoms and a simple black zip up jumper. She carried a pair of stylish sunglasses and a large tote bag as she prepared to get herself to the performance venue. Bobby also emerged from the hotel, wearing a matching baby-blue pair of jogging bottoms and hooded top. The soap star carried a large leather bag and blocked out the sound of fans by wearing noise cancelling headphones.
Ellie was snapped leaving the Lowry hotel in Manchester (Splash News / SplashNews.com)
Bobby was spotted wearing a blue outfit (Aaron Parfitt / SplashNews.com)The cast of the Strictly Live tour are in the midst of their multi-date performances that have already taken them to major UK cities including Birmingham, Newcastle and Glasgow. The troupe are performing in Manchester for the weekend - and they are due to move onwards to Nottingham next week.
Reports have swirled that Ellie and Bobby have grown close over the course of the tour dates. Ellie had her heart broken last year when her boyfriend Reagan Pettman kissed another woman - destroying their romance. While rumours raged that she and dance partner Vito Coppola, 33, were becoming close during the course of the 2024 season of Strictly, the pair have since stated that they are just friends.
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Now that Ellie and Bobby are growing close, friends of the former Corrie actress have expressed concern she could be moving too fast. A source told The Sun: “Bobby is a nice, good-looking lad who’s obviously a big hit with the ladies. He and Ellie would make a great couple — but she should tread carefully.”
And this comes after earlier reports revealed the two were striking up a romance. A source said before: “Bobby and Ellie are the talk of the tour. Their friendship has grown and grown, and they’ve been spending nearly all their free time together before and after performances. They’ve been having their meals together, and flirting increasingly openly.
“The chat on tour is they may have enjoyed a cheeky snog, and will go public with their romance any week now. They’re both hugely popular characters, and make a really cute couple. There are also endless commercial opportunities for them as a pair because they are both hugely in demand, with the world at their young feet. Everyone is very excited about this hot new pairing.”